Mats Zuccarello is perhaps the most popular member of the New York Rangers outside of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Now he is entering a summer of uncertainty for the first time since joining the Rangers for good in 2013-14.
A Crossroads
The diminutive Norwegian has been one of the Rangers’ most consistent players. Zuccarello has led the team in scoring each of the last three years, which is a feat in it of itself. But perhaps more importantly, and in my opinion impressively, Zuccarello has won the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award in three of the last five seasons, receiving the award for never giving up on a shift and doing whatever it takes to win, including dropping the mitts if necessary.