29 September 2023
The Wild have signed winger Mats Zuccarello to a two-year, $8.25 million contract extension, general manager Bill Guerin said Friday.
Zuccarello, 36, signed a five-year free agent deal that expires this season in 2019 and has become a fixture on the Wild’s top line with winger Kirill Kaprizov and center Ryan Hartman.
He scored 22 goals among 67 points last season and has averaged 15 goals and 64 assists in four seasons with Minnesota. Nearly as important has been his mentorship of Kaprizov, the young Russian wing who has blossomed into one of the NHL’s best scorers since joining the team in 2020-21.
Discussing the Wild’s desire to sign Kaprizov to a long-term deal, owner Craig Leipold said Thursday that Zuccarello’s presence on the roster will likely be a factor in getting that deal inked.
“Their chemistry is so good, they work hard at it, they trust each other,” Leipold said. “I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t tell you that’s an important part of why (Zuccarello) is important to our team, because they have a lot of chemistry together, and you want to keep those guys together.”
Related Articles
As Bally Sports seeks new contracts, Wild explore other options
Wild blue liner Brock Faber has more up his sleeve
Sammy Walker appears to have everything for Wild but a cap-friendly contract
Asked to improve his faceoffs, Connor Dewar shows immediate improvement
Minnesota Wild make first training camp cuts