Updated February 11th, 2020 at 09:27 IST
Jason Zucker swaps Minnesota Wild for Pittsburgh Penguins in blockbuster trade deal
Penguins have acquired forward Jason Zucker from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Alex Galchenyuk, Calen Addison and a 2020 first-round pick. Read for more.
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Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired forward Jason Zucker from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Alex Galchenyuk, Calen Addison and a conditional 2020 first-round draft pick. Jason Zucker has reportedly been signed up for the 2022-23 season and his contract carries an Average Annual Value (AAV) of $5.5 million.
Penguins GM Jim Rutherford: "Jason Zucker is a top-six forward that we think will be a great fit for our group. He's a proven goal scorer, and with three more years on his current contract, he has the potential to make an impact for us moving forward."
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins)
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Jason Zucker trade: Minnesota Wild to Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins were interested in signing Jason Zucker for a long time. After a failed move last season, they have finally got their man. The trade allowed the Penguins to get Alex Galchenyuk off their books, who struggled with injuries for the entirety of last season. However, Penguins also lost an exciting prospect in Calen Addison, who starred for Team Canada in the World Juniors.
Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford lauded their new forward stating that Jason Zucker is easily one of the best players in the league. With a three-year agreement, Rutherford believes Zucker has the potential to make an impact for his side moving forward. Jason Zucker is expected to slot right in the starting line-up to replace Jake Guentzel, who suffered a severe shoulder injury on December 31, 2019.
Pittsburgh Penguins are currently second in Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference with a 34-15 (win-loss) record.
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Jason Zucker stats: Impressive move from Pittsburgh Penguins?
Jason Zucker was picked up by Minnesota Wild in 2010 NHL Draft and has played 456 NHL games, notching up 132 goals, 111 assists and 243 points. This season, Zucker has registered 14 goals and 15 assists (29 points) in 45 games. Primarily playing down the left-wing, the 28-year-old enjoyed his best season in 2017-18, where he played 82 games to score 33 goals and 31 assists.
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Zucker, 28, has three more years beyond this one with an AAV of $5.5M. PIT initially wasn’t keen on giving up prospect defenceman Calen Addison, or for that matter the first-round pick, but PIT is all about maximizing the Sid-Geno window to win Cup(s) now.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie)
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Published February 11th, 2020 at 09:27 IST