In a vacuum, Mats Zuccarello would be the perfect candidate for the Detroit Red Wings.
The forward turned back the clock last season, putting up a remarkable 15 goals and 54 points in 59 games with the Minnesota Wild. His chemistry with superstar Kirill Kaprizov brought him the closest he's been to a point-per-game since the 2021-22 season, where he finished with 79 points in 70 games. By all accounts, he should be a
There's just one problem:
Mats Zuccarello is 38 years old and turns 39 before the start of next season.
The Detroit Red Wings are currently the fifth oldest roster in the NHL. Now, obviously, this will change once the team moves on from their unrestricted free agents. But adding a 38-year-old when the roster desperately needs to get younger doesn't seem conducive to the team's current direction -- especially with captain Dylan Larkin ready to move on.
So why wouldn't a short-term deal be worth it for Zuccarello? To put it simply: it just might not be possible.
Zuccarello playing at least one more year, unlikely to jump ship
In his post season press conference, Zuccarello let Wild media members know that he plans on playing at least one, if not two seasons more. The Norwegian forward has played seven straight seasons with the Wild. He's in a great situation on the team's top line alongside Kaprizov. Best of all, his team appears just one center away from legitimate contention.
So why, then, would he leave the situation he's in?
The Athletic projects his next contract to land at a one-year, $5.8M deal. The Wild currently have $9.42M in pending salary cap space. Would the team be willing to sign Zuccarello with more than half of their remaining salary cap, or would the winger be willing to take a discount?
More importantly, what would the Red Wings have that he could want?
Zuccarello is a right wing. Unless the Red Wings plan on moving Lucas Raymond to their left wing (or plan on letting Patrick Kane walk), there's not a lot of room for him on the team's top-six. Paying $5.8M - or more - for a bottom-six winger is a recipe for disaster. An overpay of that caliber for a depth forward is exactly what's gotten the Red Wings into the problem they're in today.
Barring a massive, massive overpay, it's unlikely the Red Wings land a player of Zuccarello's caliber.
Red Wings looking to get younger, faster
Additionally, signing aging forwards isn't the direction the Red Wings should take right now. Detroit should be looking to get younger and faster in order to remain competitive in a highly contested Atlantic division. Ultimately, what the team looks like will depend on what they do following the Larkin trade.
No matter which direction they take, signing Zuccarello to any contract big or small just seems out of the cards right now.
