mats zuccarello

Zuccarello = V.I.P

Henrik Lundqvist is the most critical Ranger of all, Rick Nash is the Rangers’ solitary elite goalscorer and Ryan McDonagh is the undoubted leader of the Rangers deep and experienced blueline but the impact of Mats Zuccarello’s season ending injury last year was undeniable. As Marty St Louis slumped into retirement the Rangers lacked offensive punch and consistency as they lost to Tampa in the Conference Finals and they absolutely missed their Norwegian playmaker.

Entering a new season the Rangers have several new faces and multiple question marks throughout the line-up. How much will Cam Talbot be missed? Can Ryan McDonagh quickly get back to his best and who will pick up the slack following St Louis’ retirement? Above all however is the health of Zuccarello and his ability to get up to speed quickly.

Zuccarello ticks so many boxes for the Rangers. He drives possession, he’s the glue amongst the top six forwards, he’s arguably the team’s best playmaker and he makes others around him better. His chemistry with Brassard for example is undeniable. Aside from Nash and Lundqvist, perhaps no other player’s absence through injury would be as keenly felt as Zuccarello’s was.

As other teams in the East loaded up on offensive talent this summer (see Columbus, Pittsburgh and Washington amongst others) it truly has become an arms race in the East. The Rangers will need to be able to keep pace with the best offenses in the conference regardless of their advantages in net or on the blueline and the pressure on the Rangers youth to kick on this year is already tangible.

The aforementioned ‘arms race’ is why Zuccarello is arguably the most important Ranger as the team enters the new season. Zuccarello (with 102 points against Eastern conference opponents) has traditionally done his best work inside the conference and has established himself as a critical Ranger and the Rangers cannot afford for him to struggle out of the gate. The team cannot afford to lose St Louis, to lose Carl Hagelin and to see another core member of the top nine struggle.

The Rangers don’t yet know what they have in Emerson Etem, JT Miller is still unproven over a full season and even Kevin Hayes only has one season to fall back on. Zuccarello is as critical to the Rangers as Derek Stepan or Brassard. He’s that important. Zuccarello producing will go a long way in helping keep the Rangers amongst the East’s best.

In a season where only a Stanley Cup will satisfy the fanbase, the Rangers will need Zuccarello to return to fifty point form. Ideally he’ll go above and beyond what he has done before; that’s how much this team needs from him. This team has depth but it doesn’t boast the All Star calibre ability of Tampa, Pittsburgh or even the Capitals.

While the Rangers do have depth up front but there are still question marks as to where the goals will come from. As the team allows for growth from Miller and Hayes and integrates Etem and Viktor Stalberg it might be Zuccarello’s playmaking that makes the difference. Zuccarello has the ability to influence so many other players around him. It’s critical to the Rangers season that he comes back his old self.

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