Breaking: Zuccarello Signs For 1 Year at 3.5M! Hold the Celebration
Mats Zuccarello scores a goal during first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at MSG (Paul J. Bereswill)
Reports are coming out that Mats Zuccarello has signed a very cap friendly deal for 3.5 million next season. While that is fantastic news in 2014-15, it is concerning news for the following year.
Rangers and Zuccarello have reached agreement on one-year deal for $3.5M, will continue to work on long-term that cannot be signed until 1/1
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) July 22, 2014
This is basically delaying the inevitable for the NY Rangers, but it does give them some breathing room should Derick Brassard and Chris Kreider get very high rewards in arbitration.
Right now, the Rangers may have been able to sign Zuccarello to a 4.5 Million dollar deal for 3 to 5 years. Flash forward to January 1st, where the Rangers can now sign a longterm deal. Let’s assume Mats Zuccarello has about 35-40 points and either leads the team in scoring or is top 3. That 4.5 million is now off the table and he will be asking for 5M plus. That’s the good news scenario.
Let’s go the opposite direction and say Zuccarello is struggling with 15 points. The Rangers will low ball him and Mats with balk. If he struggles all year or gets injured, he will still want his 4.5 at the very least. This is a recipe for disaster and Zucc could see unrestricted free agency next July.
This is the PK Subban situation on a smaller scale. The scenario where a penny smart can become a dollar dumb. FTHN Magazine did a great write up of that situation here.
Bottom line, this helps the Rangers today, but can backfire on them tomorrow. Let’s just hope everybody wins in the end.
Read Previous Zuccarello Articles:
Mats Zuccarello In The Driver’s Seat
Let’s Make A Deal: What Is Mats Zuccarello Really Worth?
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