A Veteran Winger With a 54-Point Season Just Hit the Open Market. Who Grabs Him?

Mats Zuccarello is officially a free agent. It’s not really a surprise, but it’s still a notable shift for a guy who’s been a steady producer for the Minnesota Wild over the last seven years.

The 38-year-old winger put up 54 points this past season, matching his output from the year before. That’s solid production, especially for someone his age. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic confirmed the news Tuesday, noting Zuccarello’s $4.125 million cap hit is now off Minnesota’s books.

Zuccarello’s career path is kind of interesting. He spent 8.5 seasons with the New York Rangers, even playing in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. Then the Rangers traded him to Dallas during their rebuild. He hit free agency after that, and the Wild signed him to a seven-year deal.

In Minnesota, he was a key piece for some competitive teams. But things change. Kirill Kaprizov’s massive new contract kicks in Wednesday. Bobby Brink is back for another year. And the Wild have internal cap considerations. Zuccarello just got squeezed out. He’ll turn 39 on opening night, so it’s fair to assume he’s looking to join a contender for a Cup run before he hangs them up.

The Wild themselves might be one of those contenders. But their division rival, the Colorado Avalanche, should also be in the mix. Colorado just lost some depth pieces — Valeri Nichushkin, Jack Drury, Logan O’Connor are all gone. That’s a lot of forward minutes to replace. Zuccarello would fit nicely with that group, and the Avalanche have a history of adding veteran wingers on short-term deals.

There’s another layer here. Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars is still the biggest domino left this summer. If Dallas trades Robertson, they might look for a cheap veteran stopgap. Zuccarello already played there once. If Robertson stays, then a contender could snag Zuccarello for a reasonable one-year deal.

Either way, Zuccarello makes sense for a lot of teams. He’s not the fastest guy anymore, but his hockey IQ and passing haven’t faded. A team in need of a second-line playmaker and a power-play boost could do a lot worse.

Where he ends up probably tells you which team is serious about winning now.