Mats Zuccarello undecided on his future
The Athletic by Michael Russo: Minnesota Wild forward Mats Zuccarello, 38, shows no signs of slowing down. He is entering the final year of his contract and has yet to decide whether he plans to play next season.
“I’m going to use this season to see how I feel,” Zuccarello said Competitor. “If I feel like I’m good enough to play at this level, I’m willing to compete. If I feel like I’m not good enough, then I just don’t want to be a guy who takes a position and isn’t good enough.”
Who should the Minnesota Wild keep an eye on and who could they trade for in their roster?
The Athletic by Michael Russo and Joe Smith: (Mailbag) When asked which forwards the Minnesota Wild should be interested in, Russo said the Buffalo Sabers’ Alex Tuch and Tachi Thompson, if anyone is willing to compete. That will depend on whether he signs an extension and if it falls below the reported asking price of $12 million. St. Louis Blues Brayden Schenn is another. They should avoid Calgary Flames Nazem Kadri.
Russo noted that the Blues might want to get Jordan Kyrou back on offense in any trade. Don’t think the Wild would be willing to give up a center — Marco Rossi — for a winger. The Wild spoke with the New York Islanders about Bo Horvat and Matthew Barzal, but declined. Horvath is not currently available.
NHL Rumors: New Jersey Devils vs. Calgary Flames
Smith said the addition of New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin wouldn’t make the Wild a legitimate contender and might not be worth it given his age (34) and contract requirements. It will be difficult for Steven Stamkos to waive his no-move clause with the Wild, and it will be difficult for the Nashville Predators to retain a significant portion of his $8 million salary cap hit.
Russo believes the Wild would consider trading linebackers Jared Spurgeon or Jonas Brodin if their return made sense. Spurgeon had 10 teams without trades. Forward Ryan Hartman has a 15-team no-trade list and believes general manager Bill Guerin has been testing his trade value. It’s hard to see the Wild trading center Marco Rossi without a center back.
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