Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports the Buffalo Sabres have agreed to a one-year, $5MM contract with free agent forward Jason Zucker.
Zucker, 32, projects to be a cheaper veteran replacement for Jeff Skinner, who had the final three seasons of his $9MM AAV contract bought out on Saturday. Unfortunately, he’s also a lower-ceiling option. Zucker had just 14 goals in 69 games split between the Coyotes and Predators last season, his lowest offensive output in a healthy season since 2015-16.
He’s still a viable depth scoring option, just likely not in a top-six role for a team intent on making the playoffs. Buffalo likely believes there’s some rebound potential they can unlock by sticking him with some faster, younger linemates – potentially in the top six alongside Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn. However, Zucker is seven years removed from his career-best 33-goal, 64-point season in Minnesota – is it fair to expect him to sniff rediscovering that?
Zucker does play a physical game for his smallish frame (5’11”, 192 lbs), though, an area Skinner’s game notably lacked. It’s a facet of Buffalo’s team game they’re likely looking to improve under head coach Lindy Ruff next season. Unlike Skinner, Zucker also has a strong history of recent possession numbers and plays a much more well-rounded game. Still, for a $5MM price tag, they’re likely hoping for at least 20 goals and 45 points out of him this year.
$5mil????????????? What?
Yikes
It’s for 1 year. Contract is off the books in 1 year. Needed veteran for a still young team. Adds to the bottom 6. Not a 4 or 5 or 6 year deal like some teams are giving to 33/34+ year olds.
How many bottom 6 f’ing players they need???? They already have 10 of them!
As much as I agree with you, who else can they sign? Reports are RFA’s are telling them they don’t wanna come to Bflo so why would top tier UFA’s come here. The only way for this organization to improve is sell the team or the players here actually get their shit together & start playing like a playoff team.
You make no sense. For all the length & terms being thrown at all these 33+ year olds Buffalo is better off not signing those guys. Over half will be bought out or traded within a few years anyways.
Not counting Tage, Tuch, Cozens, Quinn, Peterka all that is leftover from last season is Krebs, Benson & Greenway.
Zuck has a good agent too!
Ruff also is having a say in who GMKA is signing this off-season.