Mats Zuccarello Still Has It

Mats Zuccarello has become a fan favorite, and for good reason. During his time with the Minnesota Wild, Zuccarello has proven invaluable.

Zuccarello has scored 99 goals and 322 points with the Wild, including his career-high 79 points during the 2021-22 season. His elevated play in Minnesota is one of the many reasons he secured his latest contract. In 2023, Zuccarello signed a two-year, $8.25 million extension. Despite the risk of extending a forward in his mid-30s and his seemingly slowing production, Zuccarello is proving he can still play.  

He’s 37 and will turn 38 in the off-season. Age can become a liability in a physical game like hockey. Few players other than Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin continue to produce as they approach 40. 

Most NHL players retire in the early to mid-30s. Therefore, Zuccarello’s late-30s is a testament to his strength as a hockey player. Even more impressive? Zuccarello’s last three seasons, between age 34 and 36, have also been the best of his career. He had 79 points in 70 games three years ago, 67 in 78 two years ago, and 63 in 69 last season.

However, all good things must come to an end. Zuccarello has had a down year with 15 goals and 41 points through 52 games. While his numbers are lower than we have come to expect, Zuccarello has experienced as much adversity this year as the rest of the team.

He missed a large portion of the beginning of the season with an injury that happened in November. Since coming back, Zuccarello has played on an ever-changing Minnesota roster without Kirill Kaprizov. It is no secret that Zuccarello has had much of his success setting Kaprizov up, so we have seen less of Zuccarello’s scoring abilities in his absence. 

That was until the Wild needed him most.

After an eight-game pointless streak through February, Zuccarello has scored three goals and five points in his last six games.

Zuccarello’s scoring has been crucial for the Wild. Minnesota started strong in March, winning two critical games against the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken. Zuccarello contributed to the game-winning goals in each game, picking up an assist on Minnesota’s goal in Boston and scoring the game-winning goal against Seattle. 

However, after winning twice, the Wild then lost two games to the Vancouver Canucks and the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Minnesota should have beaten Pittsburgh and Vancouver but couldn’t beat the opposing goaltender. The Wild created chances and shots but failed to find chemistry. Zuccarello went pointless in both games. 

However, Zuccarello and the Wild have since hosted the Colorado Avalanche, who are one spot above them in the standings. It was a crucial game and a chance for the Wild to get right. They had lost to the Avalanche five games earlier, in the last game of February. 

Zuccarello bounced back against Colorado. He was the most noticeable player on the ice, scoring the first and only Wild goal in the second period. 

The Avs tied the game, pushing it into overtime and eventually a shootout. Zuccarello went first in the shootout and scored five-hole on Mackenzie Blackwood to give the Wild the lead.

Two Filip Gustavsson stops later, and Zuccarello has scored the game-winning goal against a division rival, no less.

Zuccarello has decided the outcome of three out of his last six games, making him one of, if not the most important player on the ice. He’s kept the Wild afloat while missing key players like Kaprizov. With the minimal scoring depth, the Wild have only scored 11 goals in the last seven games. They’ve needed scoring from everyone, including their 37-year-old setup man.

However, Zuccarello hasn’t done this alone. During his recent scoring surge, Zuccarello has found chemistry with Frederick Gaudreau and Marcus Johansson. In Zuccarello’s last five points, Johansson has gotten two assists and assisted Zuccarello on a goal Gaudreau scored. Meanwhile, Gaudreau got an assist from Zuccarello on the game-winning goal in Boston and assisted Zuccarello on the game-winning goal in Seattle.  

Gaudreau and Johansson have been building chemistry throughout the year, but adding Zuccarello to their line improved their scoring. The three may reunite later in the season, but John Hynes has moved Zuccarello back to the first line while putting Gustav Nyquist on the second line with Johansson and Gaudreau.

Putting Zuccarello on a line with Johansson and Gaudreau had sparked his scoring. However, his most recent goal against Colorado came on the first line with assists from Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi.

That’s only further evidence that Zuccarello is a good player regardless of circumstance. He doesn’t need Kaprizov, Johansson, or Gaudreau to affect the game's outcome. Zuccarello is still finding ways to score.

Even though his production has begun to slow down, Zuccarello has scored when the team has needed him most. Zuccarello’s time in the league may be nearing its end. However, his ability as a player and leader means he might still have a few good years left.