COLUMBUS (93.7 The Fan) – Only once in his dozen years in the NHL did Jason Zucker score more goals than he did this season.
Now that 27 goals and 48 points head to free agency with the season over.
“I want to be here,” Zucker said after the 3-2 loss to Columbus Thursday. “This is the place I want to be. It’s not up to me at this point.”
What is the value for Jason Zucker? He is at the end of a five-year, $27.5 million contract originally signed with Minnesota. Former Pens GM Jim Rutherford traded for him in 2019-20 and it look several years to really see what he saw in Zucker. Injuries took large chunks of games away in every season but this one.
His production came as he settled in as Evgeni Malkin’s partner. While teams have line combinations, Mike Sullivan at times thinks of his forwards as pairs. Zucker and Malkin had the production that at times rivaled Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby.
“I put in the work,” Zucker said. “My linemates were unbelievable. I have to give them all the credit. For me it was nice to just be healthy, put in the work.”
But minutes after a non-playoff season for the first time in 16 years in Pittsburgh, Zucker didn’t want to talk too much about himself.
“Overall it was a failure of a season,” Zucker said.
Why were the Pens unable to get back in the playoffs?
“I think there was a lot to it,” Zucker said. “You look at the season to the points and leads we gave away. I didn’t think we had the consistency needed night-in and night-out and ultimately that hurt us.”
As he considers his future, at 31-years-old if he’s looking to win a Stanley Cup for the first time in his career, is Pittsburgh the place to do that? There will be other suitors based on his year. Zucker said he thinks they can get back to being a force in hockey again with many of the same people in that room.
“I have a lot of believe in this group,” Zucker said. “Obviously, we didn’t do enough to have success this year and that’s on us. It’s no one else’s fault but our own. It’s a very disappointing season, very disappointing.”
Can the Pens afford him with $49 million already committed to next year’s salary cap? After he has time to think about it, will Zucker want to return?
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