Zuccarello sounds off on the Rangers handling of Lundqvist and Himself

[The Crypto Guy]

Mats Zuccarello sounds off on the Rangers handling of Lundqvist and himself - Forever Blueshirts: A site for New York Rangers fanatics

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[dshea19]

He is bitter because teams have to make tough decisions in a salary cap league? Sounds like his real problem is with the NHL.

 

[Boris Zubov]

I like Zucc a lot, but this is a really odd time to air this out. There's millions of people in the world suffering right now, both physically & financially. He gets paid millions to play a sport, so this is not a great look here. He should be grateful he'll have a job to go back to & a ton of money in the bank.

 

[17futurecap]

Yawn.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

F*** off, Zucc. Grow up.

 

[NYRFAN218]

I love Zucc but after a while he just comes across as bitter. No issue with airing out your emotions but I feel like we're at more than a handful of times where he's publicly complained about how everything went down.

And I don't know what he's talking about with Lundqvist. Maybe stuff has gone down in private that we're not privy to or he's just defending his friend but up until 2020, the Rangers have been nothing but clear with Hank about the direction this team is heading and have told him if he wants to leave, they'll accommodate him. I'm of the belief he should have gotten more starts mixed in this calendar year but this situation isn't easy to navigate especially when Igor comes in and solidifies himself as the clear number 1 in a playoff race. It sucks but this point was always coming and was never going to be easy.

 

[Joey Bones]

He's got every right to complain about this. He was incredibly loyal to this organization and they gave him an unadmirable send off for sure. But this is a business, it really sucks when you've done your part and things change over time. Unfortunately we are all now seeing that with Lundqvist.

 

[Thirty One]

He's got every right to complain about this. He was incredibly loyal to this organization and they gave him an unadmirable send off for sure. But this is a business, it really sucks when you've done your part and things change over time. Unfortunately we are all now seeing that with Lundqvist.

What should they have done differently?

 

[Joey Bones]

What should they have done differently?

Nothing, it just sucks for him and probably management at the time. It's like most divorces, in a way.

 

[pld459666]

Mats Zuccarello sounds off on the Rangers handling of Lundqvist and himself - Forever Blueshirts: A site for New York Rangers fanatics

Hey Zuccs, STFU

 

[JT Kreider]

He's got every right to complain about this. He was incredibly loyal to this organization and they gave him an unadmirable send off for sure. But this is a business, it really sucks when you've done your part and things change over time. Unfortunately we are all now seeing that with Lundqvist.

Huh? Management gave that core every opportunity to win a Stanley Cup, pillaging all future assets over a 6 year window and they couldn't get it done. A 6 year run like that is pretty unprecedented.

What was Zucc expecting exactly? To re-sign Hayes, McDonagh and Miller and not trade Stepan or Brassard? We would be like $30 million over the cap.

I said this on the main boards but I'm amazed any Ranger from that era has anything bad to say. They all went on to get paid handsomely.

Prust, Stralman, Boyle, Hagelin, Pouliot, Talbot, Moore, Yandle, stepan, Brassard, Callahan, Miller, McDonagh, Hayes, Girardi, Staal

They all made out like bandits and were mostly overvalued because they were "Rangers" and had deep playoff exposure.

The only one who truly got screwed was Dubinsky. He was part of the foundation during the Renney/early Torts years and deserved to see it through.

 

[pld459666]

The moment you can no longer help this team (or any team in any sport) you are as useless as tits on a bull.

Just stop.

 

[pld459666]

Huh? Management gave that core every opportunity to win a Stanley Cup, pillaging all future assets over a 6 year window and they couldn't get it done. A 6 year run like that is pretty unprecedented.

What was Zucc expecting exactly? To re-sign Hayes, McDonagh and Miller and not trade Stepan or Brassard? We would be like $30 million over the cap.

I said this on the main boards but I'm amazed any Ranger from that era has anything bad to say. They all went on to get paid handsomely.

Prust, Stralman, Boyle, Hagelin, Pouliot, Talbot, Moore, Yandle, stepan, Brassard, Callahan, Miller, McDonagh, Hayes, Girardi, Staal

They all made out like bandits and were mostly overvalued because they were "Rangers" and had deep playoff exposure.

The only one who truly got screwed was Dubinsky. He was part of the foundation during the Renney/early Torts years and deserved to see it through.

Even Dubi got paid

 

[JT Kreider]

Also conveniently left out that only signing a 4 year extension brought him to UFA where he was still young enough to cash in on one more contract. If he had signed a 5 or 6 year deal there is no chance he gets that same contract he got from Minnesota this summer or next. He would have cost himself millions of dollars.

And the contract he signed in 2015 was not really a sweetheart deal. It was pretty fair for a player who had one full NHL season to his name.

 

[JT Kreider]

Even Dubi got paid

And most of those guys sucked when they first got to the Rangers. Remember Boyle when he first got traded from LA? He was a giant soft goof who could barely stand on his own two feet on the ice. Stralman washed out with the Leafs and CBJ and was cut by the Devils in training camp? Prust was a 4th line plug in Calgary and under Torts became one of the best bottom six forwards in the league and got a nice payday in Montreal.

Pouliot was a journeyman before his one career year here in NY and parlayed that into the best contract he ever got.

Hagelin was a 6th round pick that immediately got to play with our two best players Callahan and Richards as a rookie and got a stupid contract from Anaheim and just got another solid payday in Washington

Staal, Girardi and Stepan all immediately went downhill as soon as they signed their big money deals and never came close to living up to them.

Brassard was never the same player once he got traded out of here and has been on like 5 different teams since.

Talbot would have been a nobody if he wasnt a Ranger and had the easiest job in sports playing underneath Lundqvist with the best goalie coach in the league.

Hayes came here and we developed him into one of the best two way 2nd line centers and got a ridiculous contract from Philly.

They should all be grateful for their time here. They got to compete for a Cup and then got rewarded handsomely.

Sure it would have been nice to keep some of them (really only Boyle, Stralman at the time and Hayes and McDonagh now).. but you cant ice a team that is $30 million over the cap.

 

[egelband]

Huh? Management gave that core every opportunity to win a Stanley Cup, pillaging all future assets over a 6 year window and they couldn't get it done. A 6 year run like that is pretty unprecedented.

What was Zucc expecting exactly? To re-sign Hayes, McDonagh and Miller and not trade Stepan or Brassard? We would be like $30 million over the cap.

I said this on the main boards but I'm amazed any Ranger from that era has anything bad to say. They all went on to get paid handsomely.

Prust, Stralman, Boyle, Hagelin, Pouliot, Talbot, Moore, Yandle, stepan, Brassard, Callahan, Miller, McDonagh, Hayes, Girardi, Staal

They all made out like bandits and were mostly overvalued because they were "Rangers" and had deep playoff exposure.

The only one who truly got screwed was Dubinsky. He was part of the foundation during the Renney/early Torts years and deserved to see it through.

Agreed. And i would think that at least part of the reasoning that lead to Zucc getting a better deal this time around (with Minnesota) was his “good locker room guy” reputation. One big example of which is the perception he took less to stick with a contending Rangers team.
Not trying to overblow that, but in the end these things tend to even out.
It’s not like he was crippled earning-wise by taking less that one time.
Maybe, had he demanded his “due” when he re-signed with the Rangers, things end up worse for him longer-term. Impossible to say.

 

[egelband]

And most of those guys sucked when they first got to the Rangers. Remember Boyle when he first got traded from LA? He was a giant soft goof who could barely stand on his own two feet on the ice. Stralman washed out with the Leafs and CBJ and was cut by the Devils in training camp? Prust was a 4th line plug in Calgary and under Torts became one of the best bottom six forwards in the league and got a nice payday in Montreal.

Pouliot was a journeyman before his one career year here in NY and parlayed that into the best contract he ever got.

Hagelin was a 6th round pick that immediately got to play with our two best players Callahan and Richards as a rookie.

Staal, Girardi and Stepan all immediately went downhill as soon as they signed their big money deals and never came close to living up to them.

Brassard was never the same player once he got traded out of here and has been on like 5 different teams since.

Talbot would have been a nobody if he wasnt a Ranger and had the easiest job in sports playing underneath Lundqvist with the best goalie coach in the league.

Hayes came here and we developed him into one of the best two way 2nd line centers and got a ridiculous contract from Philly off of all the work we put into getting him to that point.

Indeed. Sometimes taking less and staying put, in a good situation, could be the wisest (and beneficial) thing to do.

 

[Leetch3]

i couldn't care less what zuke thinks...but I swear to god if you people draw webster back i'm gonna lose it

 

[JT Kreider]

Even Dubi got paid

It is a shame Dubinsky sucked that 2012 season. He had been progressively getting so much better every season up until that point and then not only hit a giant wall, he had the worst season of his career when we were all penciling him in for a 60 point Selke esque season.

He pretty much made himself expendable and forced his way out of town for Nash. Classic Ranger fashion for that trade to be the best thing that ever happened to Columbus and that was the start of their turnaround from league doormat to one of the toughest teams to play against and a perennial playoff contender.

 

[egelband]

Also conveniently left out that only signing a 4 year extension brought him to UFA where he was still young enough to cash in on one more contract. If he had signed a 5 or 6 year deal there is no chance he gets that same contract he got from Minnesota this summer or next. He would have cost himself millions of dollars.

And the contract he signed in 2015 was not really a sweetheart deal. It was pretty fair for a player who had one full NHL season to his name.

More good points.

The Rangers, Henrik, and Zucc have all done very well by each other. Ups and downs of course, but that’s business.

And if Zucc is really asserting there was some injustice done, he’s being very silly. (Especially so, when considering the timing).

 

[JT Kreider]

More good points.

The Rangers, Henrik, and Zucc have all done very well by each other. Ups and downs of course, but that’s business.

And if Zucc is really asserting there was some injustice done, he’s being very silly. (Especially so, when considering the timing).

Yes. Unless he knows something we dont, like Gorton flat out told Lundqvist that he is done here in NY and since he missed his chance to get traded during the great 2018 sell off, he needs to retire to save himself the embarrassment of being bought out.

I do see his point sticking up for Lundqvist who is essentially caught in no mans land here.

1.) He wants to retire a career Ranger. Being a one player team is more important than Cup chasing for a different team.
2. ) And even now if he has agreed to a potential trade, no team is taking him at his current cap hit and he might be viewed as damaged goods based on the last we've seen of him so no other team is willing to take a chance on him.
3.) We all know how competitive he is and watching games from the press box is driving him nuts. Not to mention his entire game day routine is thrown into chaos with the 3 man rotation. His entire career he came to work with the entire practice centered around getting him ready for that nights start.

 

[Joey Bones]

Huh? Management gave that core every opportunity to win a Stanley Cup, pillaging all future assets over a 6 year window and they couldn't get it done. A 6 year run like that is pretty unprecedented.

What was Zucc expecting exactly? To re-sign Hayes, McDonagh and Miller and not trade Stepan or Brassard? We would be like $30 million over the cap.

I said this on the main boards but I'm amazed any Ranger from that era has anything bad to say. They all went on to get paid handsomely.

Prust, Stralman, Boyle, Hagelin, Pouliot, Talbot, Moore, Yandle, stepan, Brassard, Callahan, Miller, McDonagh, Hayes, Girardi, Staal

They all made out like bandits and were mostly overvalued because they were "Rangers" and had deep playoff exposure.

The only one who truly got screwed was Dubinsky. He was part of the foundation during the Renney/early Torts years and deserved to see it through.

I don't really care enough to argue on it, but Zucc was a huge component to the Rangers offense and in that time and during "the note" era. He only wanted to play for them so when management said no he got stiffed which is unfortunate for both sides. Like I said above, it's like most divorces. The Rangers did what they had to.

 

[JT Kreider]

I don't really care enough to argue on it, but Zucc was a huge component to the Rangers offense and in that time and during "the note" era. He only wanted to play for them so when management said no he got stiffed which is unfortunate for both sides. Like I said above, it's like most divorces. The Rangers did what they had to.

Then Zucc needs to not take it so personally. It is common sense for a franchise to turn towards rebuilding after an unprecedented run of making the playoffs 11 seasons out of 12 and burning every future asset in the 2nd half to try and win a Cup. You then end up stuck in mediocrity with the worst prospect pool in hockey and an aging core locked into expensive contracts. That's the worst place to be for everyone.

I'm shocked at how personally he is taking this. Gorton must have kidnapped both Staal and Lundqvist's children and holding them for retirement ransom for Zucc to be this triggered out of nowhere.

 

[eco's bones]

Which just shows you that at least a lot of players (or those inside the bubble) see things much differently than fans do or a general manager has to. Good times don't last forever and Zucc is declining and Henrik has declined even more. They're both still NHL capable but paying them big dollars to take on secondary roles is an issue for players past their prime.

It doesn't bother me what Zucc is saying--people are entitled to say all kinds of shit. It just tells me that he hasn't gotten perspective yet. For some people it takes time.

All in all they're both good guys but they're not the players they were. The Rangers job is to win Stanley Cups---not become an old folks home.

 

[eco's bones]

Then Zucc needs to not take it so personally. It is common sense for a franchise to turn towards rebuilding after an unprecedented run of making the playoffs 11 seasons out of 12 and burning every future asset in the 2nd half to try and win a Cup. You then end up stuck in mediocrity with the worst prospect pool in hockey and an aging core locked into expensive contracts. That's the worst place to be for everyone.

I'm shocked at how personally he is taking this. Gorton must have kidnapped both Staal and Lundqvist's children and holding them for retirement ransom for Zucc to be this triggered out of nowhere.

It basically tells me Zucc wasn't on board with the Rangers new direction after they put out their letter. One could sense that the first half of 18-19 which was pretty subpar for Zucc. Which is probably also why Kreider has stayed. If you look at Chris he trains with younger players and prospects--he reaches out to the Russian component of the team--he didn't play the season like he had hurt feelings and he was willing to take less in $'s when the contract worked its way out.