With the Penguins in the midst of their offseason, the Tribune-Review is looking at all 47 players currently under NHL contracts to the organization in alphabetical order, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to top-six winger Jason Zucker.
Jason Zucker
Position: Left winger
Shoots: Left
Age: 29
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 192 pounds
2020-21 NHL statistics: 38 games, 18 points (nine goals, nine assists)
Contract: Third year of a five-year contract with a salary cap hit of $5.5 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2023
(Note: According to Cap Friendly, Zucker’s deal has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to submit a list of 10 teams he will not accept a trade to.)
Acquired: Trade, Feb. 10, 2020
2020-21 season: Hopes were high for Zucker at the dawn of the 2020-21 campaign. After all, he had fit in almost immediately with the Penguins upon his arrival at the 2020 trade deadline, displaying chemistry with first-line center Sidney Crosby during the regular season as well as some promise with second-line center Evgeni Malkin during the postseason.
Zucker opened the 2020-21 season on a line with Malkin and Bryan Rust at the right wing. The reasoning behind that deployment was sound, as the speed of Zucker and Rust would ideally complement the deliberate nature of Malkin.
Rust eventually was promoted to the top line, but Zucker remained a consistent presence on Malkin’s line. Despite that, Zucker was only able to produce seven points (four goals, three assists) in his first 17 games of the season.
By his 18th game, Zucker suffered a presumed left leg injury that sidelined him for five weeks.
Zucker returned to the lineup on March 29, but by that time, Malkin was out of the lineup. As a result, Zucker was teamed on a makeshift second line with Jared McCann at center and produced three points (two goals, one assist) in seven games.
Upon the arrival of Jeff Carter via trade on April 12, Zucker was flipped to the right wing, a position he had rarely played prior to that point of his career. Skating with McCann on the left wing and Carter at center, Zucker did not enjoy much more success as he recorded only four points (one goal, three assists) in nine games.
By May 3, Malkin was back in the lineup and reunited with Zucker. That seemed to spark Zucker’s offense as he collected four points (two goals, two assists) in the final four games of the regular season.
During the postseason, Zucker was largely inert as he collected three points (two goals, one assist) in six games as the Penguins lost in the first round to the New York Islanders. During a series-determining 5-3 road loss in Game 6, Zucker offered an inspired effort with a goal and an assist while largely playing with an unspecified right leg injury.
The future: Zucker is one of the Penguins’ biggest question marks this offseason. Namely, they would like to be free of his $5.5 million salary cap in order to address other needs.
He was exposed in the expansion draft, but the Seattle Kraken did not select him.
Entering Friday’s entry draft, Zucker could very well be shopped to other teams, but given how limited salary cap space is around the league, it’s difficult to see many teams willing to take on his contract.
Zucker is a very talented player. He’s still capable of being a consistent 20-goal scorer. And by all accounts, he’s a prominent and respected voice in the Penguins’ dressing room.
But for some reason, he just hasn’t found his place with the Penguins, aside from a few weeks on Crosby’s line during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season. And given Jake Guentzel’s presence, the Penguins aren’t going to reunite Crosby and Zucker any time soon.
Zucker could very well still be on the Penguins roster by the time the season opens on Oct. 12. But where exactly does he fit?
Seth Rorabaugh is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Seth by email at srorabaugh@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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July 23, 2021 at 11:49PM
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