The Nashville Predators have acquired winger Jason Zucker from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. He is a pending unrestricted free agent with a cap hit of $5.3 million. With 9 goals and 25 points in 51 games this season, he will add solid depth scoring to the Predators as they look to go on a playoff run. There is no salary retention in this deal.
Zucker’s biggest threat is his shot, but he also adds solid depth to the Predators’ forward group.
Zucker Makes Predators Deeper
While Zucker hasn’t had the most productive season, he has proven that even as he gets older, he still has a scoring touch. During the 2022-23 season, he had 27 goals with the Pittsburgh Penguins. His production rates have been strong, but health has been the biggest factor in his career. However, over the past two seasons, it hasn’t been as much of an issue.
The Predators are one of the NHL’s hottest teams as of late and are trying to lock in their wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
Zucker will slide into the middle-six forward group and add some talent to a forward group that doesn’t have much depth. Not only has Zucker shown he can score, but he also provides power during transitions up the ice. While he isn’t quite a Selke-caliber forward, he doesn’t give up on defensive efforts for goal-scoring. He can provide some decent defense, as well.
Coyotes Add Another Pick
There isn’t much to be said about acquiring a sixth-round pick, but this move is admitting that the Coyotes are too far out of the playoffs to even think about contending. Selling off any assets that aren’t tied down makes sense.