OTTAWA — Taken out of context, it sounded pretty bad. In reality, Mats Zuccarello was just likely being practical and honest.
The Rangers winger recently went on a hockey podcast with a respected journalist from his native Norway, Roy Kvatningen, and spoke about what it’s like to be in the final year of his contract and the likelihood that he is going to be traded before the Feb. 25 deadline.
At 31 years old and finishing a four-year, $18 million deal, Zuccarello understands his situation in relation to the Rangers organization, which is committed to an on-the-fly rebuilding.