Jim Nill acquired Mats Zuccarello to be a difference-maker. Zuccarello breaking his wrist in his Dallas Stars debut limited how much of an on-ice impact he could make, but when he was on the ice, he usually made things happen.
His 14 points in 15 games are only part of the impact he made. He was obviously a great fit. The Stars have a large decision coming up with Zuccarello heading to free agency: do they re-sign him? And if they do, at what cost?
Re-signing him seems like a no-brainer, but the thorny issue of the remaining conditional first-round pick is one the Stars have to weigh.