What Can We Expect From Zuccarello-Aasen?
Just following up from Jeremy’s post about Mats Zuccarello-Aasen.
If or when the signing is confirmed, have the Rangers gotten themselves a much needed ready made NHL scorer? Or is he too small for the NHL and another Andreas Ambuhl? (sorry Andreas).
The negatives; listed at 5.7, ‘MZA’ clearly wont intimidate anyone but it’s not his size that concerns me, it’s his weight. Listed at 154lbs I think my pet dog is heavier. Can he absorb hits from the Chara’s, Myers and Pronger’s of the Eastern Conference and survive the year long grind? We’ll see. Also what concerns me is for us fans, a lack of a full scouting report. We have stats and thats all – other than a small, promising glimpse at the Olympics. Is he a sniper? A Speed demon? A Prucha type who’ll bravely take a pounding in front? I’ll admit to not knowing much. So at this stage we dont know what type he is and thus where he can accurately be placed on the roster (if he makes it).
What does bode well is his pedigree. With a good Olympics for the underdog Norwegians one could have suspected this year (leading the SEL in points) may have been a one year wonder but with 2 years in the league MZA has produced. In his rookie year he also scored at more than a point/game as the following shows:
2008-09 Modo Hockey Ornskoldsvik SEL 35 12 28 40 38 – - 2009-10 Modo Hockey Ornskoldsvik SEL 55 23 41 64 62
Sweden is a tough league and while it isnt the NHL, scoring 40 points as an (undersized) rookie is impressive. Clearly the Nowergian with the Italian name has skill and its not just a hot streak. What this also tells me is that he has more substance than other ‘late bloomers’ such Fabian Brunnstrom or Ville Leino. Brunnstrom scored just 9 goals and 37pts in 54 games in his one full year in the SEL and MZA has 2 full years with significantly more success. Leino ended his Euro career dominating a significantly less competitive Finnish league (compared to the SEL) but it took him 4 years to score more than 10 goals in a season. So we can safely assume there is indeed something genuine to MZA’s game. So what now?
This is where the guessing games begin; will The Rangers take the Detroit path and slot him in the AHL first or will they take the Dallas route and insert him straight into the roster? Either is a genuine option at this stage but im hoping he makes it. Camp (maybe prospect camp?) will tell us more.
I wrote recently that the best teams in the NHL almost always have cap bargains. While we dont know the details just yet im going to assume he’s not coming over on a big deal when he has no North American experience to demand the big $$$. So Mats Zuccarello-Aasen can be our very own cap bargain (one reason I want him to make it) and hopefully help the Rangers anaemic offense. Fingers crossed. At this stage he’s low risk potentially high reward.
One thing is for certain, if he makes the roster, referring to both MDZ and MZA could get confusing…
By Bettman's Nightmare, April 19, 2010 @ 9:32 am
Well, one of the reasons we signed him was because of how well he handled the level of play in the Olympics. Of course, the physicality there isn’t quite at the level of the NHL, but it’s probably the closest you’ll get outside of it.
From what I’ve heard, he sounds like a grittier over-achieving small forward, a Danny Briere-type. Hopefully without the injuries.
jurgenno88 Reply:
April 19th, 2010 at 10:09 am
Bettman… as much as i hate that guy, if we get a Danny Briere type then i’ll be happy. If MZA can make the team, chip in 10-15 goals as a rookie and add grittiness to the team it’ll be much appreciated.
I think the bar needs to be set fairly low though. Not expect too much. Is making the team and 10 goals too much at present, to expect?
By Dave, April 19, 2010 @ 10:39 am
Solid, low risk signing. The Rangers Euro scouts have been solid this decade, so there’s no reason to believe he won’t at least be a serviceable winger.
jurgenno88 Reply:
April 19th, 2010 at 10:51 am
alot of improvement in scouting and drafting since Gordie Clark took over. He and his team have done a very good job.
I think its a bit excitable/excessive that some posters on other sites think we have Martin St Louis the 2nd already but he stands a good chance i think. its not like we’re an offensive juggernaut thats tough to crack the roster of!
It does put pressure on the Rangers to get more size through the middle in the summer though. Otherwise we’re now even smaller …
By thor from norway, September 12, 2010 @ 2:33 am
The size has always been the main concern for everyone exept for Zuca himself.
Everybody meant he was to small for the norwegian get liga, but at age 19 and 20 he was hes team Frisk Askers most point man.
Then swedish Modo sign him, and of course,almost everyone was wouried for his size(pleace exuse my weak english). But as we all know now, he became a sucsess.
I bet Chara want be able to cath him. The norwegian hobbit is to smart and fast for the slovak.
I think and really hope he make the rooster. That would have been a importent thing for norwegian hockey,and the lack off interesset that norwgian hockey suffer from.
Good luck Zucca. Hope you will serve Gaborik with many many passes.