mats zuccarello
Zuccarello scores pretty goals, will AV get more out of him?

Per Darren Dreger, cited on NBCSN, New York Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello is going to look for more than $5 million per year on a five-year deal for his contract extension. Zucc is the next Ranger in line for Glen Sather to lock up, having locked up Marc Staal earlier this year.  Zuccarello is a must-keep for the Rangers, as he is one of their best even strength producing forwards. Zucc’s production on the powerplay is down this year, but that’s mostly because PP2 has been a tire fire. The recent move to PP1 should help him produce more.

It’s important to note two things. First, Dreger isn’t reporting anything, he’s speculating. Second, Dreger is speculating Zucc’s opening offer. These are negotiations, and the opening offer is always higher than what the player will take. Brad Marchand is probably the best comparable for Zucc, since the production and roles are almost identical. Marchand signed his four-year deal at $4.5 million before last season, when the cap was lower ($64.3 million).

Marchand’s $4.5 million is 7% of the $64.3 million salary cap. Using that same number on a $71 million cap, it puts Zucc at about $5 million per year. which is where most have him pegged anyway.

Over the next few months, we may hear a lot about Zucc’s demands and the Rangers’ counter offers. It’s important to remember that these are negotiations. The Rangers initial counter will be lower than they are willing to settle. Zucc’s first demand (as seen above) will be higher than the number in which he is willing to settle.

In the end, I expect Zucc to sign a deal in the four-to-six year range for about $5 million to $5.25 million, depending on the term. That’s fair market value, and a good price for a top line forward.

Share: 

Mentioned in this article:

More About: