The New York Rangers have already made a splash ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline by acquiring forward Alex Wennberg from the Seattle Kraken to bolster their lineup. However, management might not be done yet, and they could try to continue improving their roster ahead of the postseason. After a flurry of deals sent shockwaves through the league on Wednesday, there aren’t many high-end options left, but Arizona Coyotes forward Jason Zucker was recently made a healthy scratch for trade-related reasons, and he has reportedly had interest from several teams.
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The Rangers are projected to be one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference heading into the postseason and will likely be one of the toughest teams to beat in a seven-game series. While Zucker could provide veteran leadership and depth to any team’s bottom-six, he is not a player the Rangers should target.
With the addition of Wennberg, they no longer need a player like Zucker, and if they have any interest in bringing in another forward, it should be someone like Nic Dowd, who can play a fourth-line role and provide stability to the defensive play heading down the stretch.
Many teams have made changes to their roster. The Edmonton Oilers grabbed Anaheim Ducks forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick, the Buffalo Sabres traded Casey Middlestadt to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Bowen Byram, the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames, and the Avalanche dropped a first-round pick on a defensive upgrade in Sean Walker from the Philadelphia Flyers. Plenty of teams are looking to contend for a Stanley Cup this season, so the Rangers should continue to be active and make another addition.
Why the Don’t Rangers Need Jason Zucker
Zucker is a 32-year-old left-shot forward from Newport Beach, California, who is 5-foot-11, 187 pounds. He was drafted in the second round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft at 59th overall by the Minnesota Wild after a strong season in the National Team Development Program (NTDP), where he played with the U.S. National U18 Team. In his draft year, Zucker scored 29 goals and 53 points through 60 games. He also played 22 games in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the USNTDP Juniors, scoring 11 goals and 18 points. He chose to join the University of Denver in the NCAA the following season.
In his rookie season in the NCAA, Zucker scored 23 goals and 45 points through 40 games. He also represented the United States at the U20 World Junior Championship (WJC), where he scored one goal through four games. In the 2011-12 season, he scored 22 goals and 46 points through 38 games in the NCAA and earned his first taste of the NHL. In his first six games with the Wild, he had two assists. That same season, he was named the captain of Team USA at the U20 WJC where he scored three goals and seven points through six games.
Over parts of 13 seasons in the NHL, split between the Coyotes, Wild, and Pittsburgh Penguins, Zucker has 191 goals and 172 assists through 679 games, which comes out to a 0.53 points-per-game average. He has established himself as a physical two-way depth forward who provides veteran leadership and has been a solid offensive producer wherever he has played, consistently putting up 40-point seasons when healthy.
While he is still a great player and would provide value to any team, he just doesn’t fit with the Rangers. They already have depth players who can put up 30-40 points per season, and they just added another one in Wennberg. Had management lost out on Wennberg, then the idea of trading for Zucker would have made sense, but now there isn’t a need for him. I doubt the Rangers are done making moves, but this isn’t one they should consider making this season.
What’s Next for the Rangers?
The Rangers don’t play again until Saturday (March 9), when they face off against the St. Louis Blues. Hopefully, general manager Chris Drury can focus on tomorrow’s deadline instead and make the right additions to be a contender with the likes of the Golden Knights, Oilers, and Hurricanes, who are among the best-built teams this season. The Rangers would like to make a push for their first Stanley Cup since 1994, so they should make another move to bolster their lineup.