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Jason Zucker

Sabres And Jason Zucker Have Started Extension Talks

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Veteran winger Jason Zucker has been a nice addition for the Sabres this season and he is on pace for one of his best offensive years.  As a pending unrestricted free agent, Buffalo will soon have a decision to make in terms of flipping him by the March 7th trade deadline or trying to sign him to a contract extension.  Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reported earlier this week that their preference is the latter as the two sides recently held preliminary discussions about a new deal.

The 33-year-old played on a one-year contract last season, splitting time between Arizona and Nashville.  However, he was only able to collect 14 goals and 18 assists in 69 regular season games between the two sides which didn’t help his market value heading into free agency last summer.  As a result, Zucker ultimately settled for another one-year pact in July, signing for $5MM.

That deal has worked out well for both sides.  Zucker has already surpassed his numbers from last season, putting up 18 goals and 23 assists in 52 games.  His 41 points put him fourth on the team in scoring but only two points behind Rasmus Dahlin for a share of second place.  Barring injury, Zucker appears to be well on his way toward recording his seventh career season of at least 20 goals.

Last month, Zucker acknowledged that he’d be interested in extending his stay with Buffalo.  Speculatively, he’d want a multi-year agreement this time around and according to Lysowski, that appears to be something that’s on the table.  With a $7.5MM jump in the Upper Limit of the salary cap coming next season, Zucker now should be able to land a small raise on his current price tag as well.

Lysowski adds that GM Kevyn Adams’ preference is to not sell over the next three weeks despite their placement at the bottom of the Eastern Conference so clearly, his preference is to get a new agreement in place.  However, it appears that if Zucker prefers to move on and land with a contender, they will grant that request and then attempt to bring him back in the summer.  In the meantime, they have three more weeks to see if contract discussions can yield a new deal.

Jason Zucker Interested In Signing Extension With Sabres

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Last summer, the market once again wasn’t favorable to Sabres winger Jason Zucker.  After playing on a one-year, $5.3MM deal last season, he ultimately had to settle for another one-year pact for this year with a small pay cut as well as he carries a $5MM price tag.

However, after last year didn’t go so well, this season has gone much better for the soon-to-be 33-year-old.  A strong first half has him third in team scoring heading into tonight’s game and he’s within striking distance of scoring leader Tage Thompson.  Accordingly, instead of being viewed as a short-term stopgap option as he seemingly was back in July, some are wondering if Zucker’s stint with Buffalo should be extended.

Sticking around with the Sabres is something that Zucker certainly appears to be open to.  Speaking with Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic (subscription link), the veteran indicated that a new deal is something he would be very interested in and that when the time comes, they can have that conversation which suggests substantive discussions about a new deal have yet to begin.

Early in his career, Zucker was a reliable secondary scorer, notching at least 20 goals in five of his first six NHL seasons.  However, injuries and inconsistency have hurt him since then as he has only reached that mark once in the last four seasons, that coming in 2022-23, his final year with Pittsburgh.

Last season, Zucker started the year with Arizona but struggled, collecting 25 points in 51 games.  With the Coyotes needing to clear the rest of his contract, they were only able to secure a sixth-round pick for his services at the trade deadline.  However, Zucker entered tonight’s action with 15 goals and 16 assists in his first 43 outings and is on pace for one of the best seasons of his career.

Assuming Buffalo remains out of the playoff picture, GM Kevyn Adams will have a decision to make.  On the one hand, Zucker’s performance will make his market much stronger this time around.  Assuming they’re willing to retain salary (something Arizona wouldn’t), the price to acquire him should even go higher.  Getting a solid future asset out of a one-year investment would certainly be a strong piece of business for the Sabres.

On the other hand, Buffalo is the youngest team in the NHL and certainly benefits from Zucker’s presence.  Knowing that they’ll need some solid veterans as they look to emerge from their extended rebuild, this could be a case where it makes more sense to try to keep him in the fold.

With his recent year-to-year inconsistency and the market not going his way the last couple of years, Zucker might not be in a position to command considerably more than he’s making now.  Instead, term might be the focus, getting some much-desired stability security after playing for four teams over the past couple of calendar years.  If a modest raise coupled with a few years on the contract is on the table, that might be enough to keep a good thing going between Zucker and the Sabres in the weeks to come.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Sabres Sign Jason Zucker

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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.

West Notes: Predators, Nilsson, Henrique, Larson

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The Predators have half a dozen pending unrestricted free agents to decide on this summer.  Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean profiles each case, suggesting that of the six, wingers Jason Zucker and Kiefer Sherwood are the likeliest to stick around.  Zucker provided some depth scoring for the Preds down the stretch, collecting five goals in 19 games after being acquired from Arizona at the deadline and while he’s almost certainly facing a pay cut from the $5.3MM he made this season, he could still command a fair-sized salary considering he’s only a year removed from a 27-goal campaign in Pittsburgh.

As for Sherwood, the 29-year-old was a full-time NHLer for the first time, getting into a career-best 68 games this season where he had 10 goals and 17 assists along with 234 hits in just over 12 minutes a night.  Considering the effectiveness of that fourth trio and the fact that his linemates have already received two-year extensions, it stands to reason that the Predators would like to keep that trio intact.  However, after playing for the league minimum for four straight seasons, Sherwood appears to be well-positioned to potentially double that on his next contract.

More from the West:

  • Still with Nashville, Predators prospect Felix Nilsson has been loaned to IK Oskarshamn for 2024-25, his SHL team in Rogle announced. The 18-year-old was the 43rd overall pick last June and split the season between the SHL and Sweden’s junior league.  He played in 41 games with Rogle but in a limited role, notching just three points.  Meanwhile, at the junior level, Nilsson added 23 points in 22 regular season contests.  The decision to loan him to the second-tier Allsvenskan level is an in-between step, allowing him to play at a higher level than he would have in junior but in a more prominent role than he’d have likely had in Rogle.
  • The Oilers won’t have Adam Henrique back for tonight’s seventh and deciding game against Vancouver, relays TSN’s Ryan Rishaug (Twitter link). The veteran suffered an ankle injury in the first game of the series and hasn’t played since.  He had two points in his first six playoff games before the injury in his first taste of playoff action since 2018.
  • The Ducks have invited winger Joey Larson to their upcoming development camp, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 23-year-old had a strong sophomore year at Michigan State this season, leading the Spartans in goals with 16 while adding 16 helpers in 38 games.

Predators Acquire Jason Zucker

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The Nashville Predators have acquired veteran forward Jason Zucker from the Arizona Coyotes, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Zucker was scratched in Arizona’s Thursday night game for trade-related reasons, along with defenseman Matt Dumba. The Coyotes will be receiving Dallas’ 2024 sixth-round pick in return, per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. Nashville acquired the pick at the 2023 draft when Dallas traded up into the third round. The deal notably comes with no salary retention. The teams later made the trade official.

Zucker is in his first year with the Coyotes, signing a one-year, $5.3MM contract with the team on July 1st. He’s since had a modest year, scoring nine goals and 25 points in 51 games – a step down from the 27 goals and 48 points he managed in 78 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins last year. He’ll now change hands once again, joining the fourth team of his career in Nashville. While his high scoring last season seemingly came out of nowhere, with Zucker failing to even reach 20 points in the two seasons prior, his performances in Arizona have shown he can still bring a punch to the depths of a lineup, even in year 13.

Zucker joins Anthony Beauvillier as Nashville’s newest additions – with both players likely to round out the team’s third line, filling the hole left by Yakov Trenin, who was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. The Predators also acquired flexible forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan off of waivers from the Los Angeles Kings. The new pieces will help Nashville round out a bottom-six that features just three players who have crested 20 points this season. Their presence likely forces Mark Jankowski out of the lineup, while Kiefer Sherwood and Cole Smith will now have to compete for their roles.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Coyotes Scratch Jason Zucker For Trade-Related Reasons

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TSN’s Chris Johnston is reporting that the Arizona Coyotes will scratch forward Jason Zucker in the team’s game tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks for trade-related reasons. Johnston is also reporting that multiple teams have shown interest in Zucker leading up to the trade deadline.

Over the summer, Zucker signed a one-year, $5.3MM contract with the Coyotes, as the unspoken truth at the time is that both player and team had envisioned this scenario coming to fruition. Zucker has primarily played in the team’s middle six, while also garnering some time on the team’s second powerplay unit.

Regularly counted upon for 20 goals a season earlier in his career, unfortunately, Zucker will not come close to that this year. Suiting up in 51 games for Arizona, Zucker has scored nine goals and 25 points overall, sitting ninth on the team in scoring.

As the goals have decreased for Zucker, his game’s physicality has made a sharp incline. He currently sits fifth on the team in hits after finishing first on the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. Zucker has always been a defensively sound forward, and his physical play may make for a solid addition to any postseason-bound team.

With the Coyotes able to retain two more salaries, they could get Zucker’s salary down to $2.65MM without a third team getting involved. With no trade imminent, Zucker could be an enticing piece for the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Vegas Golden Knights, or any contending team looking to bring more defensively-minded forwards into the mix.

Morning Notes: Zucker, Dumba, Villalta, Hellberg

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The Arizona Coyotes are open to trading veteran forward Jason Zucker and defenseman Matt Dumba, The Fourth Period reports. Both players are on expiring contracts and could be cheap options for added depth. Zucker has scored eight goals and 22 points in 46 games this season, while Dumba has managed just nine points in 52 games of his own.

This update doesn’t come as much of a surprise, although it does deviate from reports earlier in the season that shared the Coyotes were focused on adding older, veteran presences. But the Coyotes’ season has fallen to shambles since the calendar turned over, with the team currently riding an 11-game losing streak and sporting a 4-15-2 record in 2024. It’s been a heavy fall for a team that carried a winning record through early December. But with the losses has come a return to form for Arizona, who are once again focused on selling veteran talents to bolster their future capital. Arizona has two available salary retention spots open and may need to use them to make any trade of Zucker, who carries a $5.3MM cap hit, or Dumba, who has a $3.9MM cap hit, work for cap-strapped teams. Even then, the return for either player – one now 32 and the other struggling to produce – likely wouldn’t be too profitable for the Coyotes.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Coyotes have sent down goaltender Matthew Villalta, suggesting that Connor Ingram could be nearing a return from an undisclosed injury that’s held him out for the last week. Villalta played in his first two NHL games while filling in for Ingram, saving 24 of the 29 shots he faced in 72 minutes of ice time. He’s primarily operated as the starting goalie for the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners, where he’s managed 22 wins and a .913 save percentage in 34 games.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned goaltender Magnus Hellberg to their AHL affiliate the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins just three days after recalling him. It appears the Penguins made the move as a precaution in case one of their NHL netminders were unable to play. The 32-year-old did see NHL action earlier in the year, dressing in three games for the Penguins in which he went 1-0-0 with a 2.50 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.

Coyotes’ Jason Zucker Suspended Three Games For Boarding

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Coyotes winger Jason Zucker has been suspended for three games for boarding Panthers forward Nick Cousins during Tuesday’s 4-1 loss, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced late last night. Zucker faced a phone hearing for the play earlier in the day.

Officials assessed a major penalty and game misconduct to Zucker for boarding on the play, which occurred with less than a minute remaining in the second period. He will be eligible to return on January 11 against the Flames.

Zucker is a first-time offender in the truest sense, never once having been fined or suspended by the league over his 13-year career. However, as the Department of Player Safety outlined in their explanation video for the incident, Cousins sustained an injury due to Zucker’s hit, which limited him to one shift in the third period, leading them to lay down a multi-game suspension. He is now in concussion protocol and is uncertain for tonight’s game against the Golden Knights.

Other factors in the length of suspension included Cousins’ lack of movement before the hit, meaning that when Zucker began to approach Cousins, the latter was in a position that made the impact illegal and satisfied the league’s boarding rule. In the NHL rulebook for the 2023-24 season, the NHL defines a boarding penalty (rule 41.1) as a “player who checks or pushes a defenseless opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to hit or impact the boards violently or dangerously.”

Noted in this rule is the immense discretion of officials in assessing boarding penalties, but Cousins’ positioning against the boards at the time Zucker began the check classifies him as a defenseless opponent in no uncertain terms. Cousins also did not have possession of the puck at the time of the play.

The check occurred a few moments after Cousins made contact with Coyotes defenseman Juuso Välimäki along the half wall. However, the Department of Player Safety said Zucker claimed the check was not made in retaliation for his teammate. The Department did not factor retaliation into their decision on a three-game suspension length.

His suspension leaves the Coyotes with only 11 forwards available on the active roster. Unless they opt to dress Josh Brown and utilize seven defensemen in tonight’s tilt against the Islanders, expect the Coyotes to recall a forward from AHL Tucson later today.

It also leaves them without a significant third-line contributor as they try to maintain their place in the Western Conference Wild Card race. Their loss to the Panthers on Tuesday dropped their points percentage to .556, and while they remain in the second Wild Card spot based on current standings points, they sit third in the race based on points percentage behind the Oilers’ .557. They’ll likely need to capture two wins over their next three games without Zucker to keep pace in the playoff race. The 31-year-old missed seven games with a lower-body injury earlier this season, and the Coyotes went 3-3-1 in his absence.

In his first season with Arizona after inking a one-year, $5.3MM pact in free agency, Zucker has six goals and six assists for 12 points through 29 games. He isn’t producing up to the expectations set by his salary, nor his 27 goals and 48 points in 78 games with the Penguins last season, but he has been a solid cog in a Coyotes top-nine that’s produced much better depth scoring than expected.

West Notes: Zucker, Geekie, Schwartz, Karlsson

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Coyotes winger Jason Zucker is set to have a disciplinary hearing today for his hit on Florida winger Nick Cousins on Tuesday, the league announced.  The incident occurred late in the second period with Zucker receiving major penalties for boarding and fighting plus a game misconduct.  The 31-year-old is in his first season in the desert after inking a one-year, $5.3MM contract with Arizona in free agency last summer.  Zucker, who has no prior fine or suspension history, has six goals and six assists in 29 games so far this season.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Still with Arizona, prospect Conor Geekie could be on the move in junior as soon as Thursday, reports Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek (Twitter link). The 19-year-old was the 11th overall pick in 2022 and has been quite productive with WHL Wenatchee, notching 20 goals and 29 assists in just 26 games.  Now that his time with the World Juniors has ended following Canada’s elimination, his trade restriction has been eliminated and it appears that little time will be wasted moving him; Swift Current is believed to be his next destination.
  • Seattle could be close to getting a key winger back as head coach Dave Hakstol told reporters including Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio Network (Twitter link) that Jaden Schwartz is near a return to the lineup. The 31-year-old has missed a little more than a month with a lower-body injury and is currently on LTIR.  Schwartz had gotten off to a nice start to his year with 15 points in 23 games before the injury.
  • The Canucks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Linus Karlsson from AHL Abbotsford. The 24-year-old made his NHL debut earlier this season, getting into three games with Vancouver but has spent the bulk of the year in the minors where he has been quite productive, notching 23 points in 25 games.  Vancouver has an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made to bring Karlsson up.

Wild Trade Calen Addison To Sharks

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Michael Russo of The Athletic is reporting that the Minnesota Wild have traded defenseman Calen Addison to the San Jose Sharks for a fifth-round pick. The 23-year-old has five assists in 12 games so far this season and will join a rebuilding Sharks team that just won its first game of the season last night. According to Russo, the draft pick appears to be a 2026 selection and the Wild will also receive minor-league right winger Adam Raska in the deal. Raska is currently playing in the AHL for the San Jose Barracuda and has zero points in seven games this season.

On the surface, the move is a peculiar one for the Wild, Addison was a second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2018 and was a central part of the trade package the Penguins sent to the Wild in exchange for Jason Zucker. Last season, Addison posted three goals and 26 assists in 62 games in what was his first full season in the NHL. Those numbers, while impressive, do require some context. 18 of Addison’s 26 assists came on the powerplay, and while his offensive instincts are obvious, his defensive shortcomings leave a lot to be desired. Last season, Addison was a -17, and while that statistic can be misleading, a deep dive into his defensive analytics will tell you a very similar story. Things got so bad defensively last season that Addison went through a stretch where he was a healthy scratch in 25 out of the 35 games (including regular season and playoffs). During this stretch, the Wild traded for John Klingberg who took over powerplay responsibilities from Addison and his spot in the lineup. This led to Addison spending most of the summer without a contract extension before ultimately signing a one-year $825K deal on September 19. Now with the trade, Addison will close a very uneven run in Minnesota.

From the Sharks’ perspective, the move makes total sense, the club is rebuilding and gets to acquire a right-shot offensively-minded defenseman for almost nothing. If Addison is unable to turn his defensive game around San Jose can simply non-tender him in the offseason and walk away from Addison without any long-term ramifications. Sharks general manager Mike Grier has decided that a fifth-round pick and an AHLer is worth rolling the dice on a player who could develop into a long-term fixture on the Sharks powerplay when they emerge from their current rebuild.

In addition to the trade, the Sharks have also recalled forward Oskar Lindblom from the AHL and defenseman Jacob MacDonald has been moved to the injured reserve.

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