According to the latest NHL trade rumors, it sounds like the Minnesota Wild are prepared to move on from forward Jason Zucker. Here are five teams who should trade for him.
At the NHL trade deadline, the Minnesota Wild were reportedly very close to trading forward Jason Zucker. However, things didn’t work out and the deal was scratched at the last minute. According to the latest NHL trade rumors, it sounds like it would be surprising if he’s back in Minnesota to start the 2019-20 season.
This report comes from Elliotte Friedman in his most recent 31 Thoughts column. Wild general manager Paul Fenton has been making his stamp on the team. He has already traded Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle, and Mikael Granlund. All signs point to Zucker being the next guy to go.
He’s coming off a fairly disappointing year, as he only scored 21 goals and 42 points in 82 games. This came just a season after Zucker set a career high with 32 goals and 64 points. The Wild missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
However, despite his down year, Zucker is still a valuable player. He’s good for 20 goals a year while playing excellent two-way hockey. Additionally, it’s hard not to notice Zucker’s low shooting percentages. His individual shooting percentage was 9.8%, his lowest since the 2015-16 season. Additionally, the Wild had a team shooting percentage of 6.0% with Zucker on the ice at even strength.
He has four years left on his current deal with an annual cap hit of $5.5 million. Additionally, Zucker’s no-trade clause kicks in on July 1, so expect the Wild to trade him before then. A deal could certainly happen after that point, but he has a 10-team no-trade list as a part of his contract.
If Zucker is on the market, he’d be a sought after commodity. He’s only 27 years old and he’s one year removed from scoring 30 goals. Let’s take a look at which teams would be the best fit for him.