Zuccarello hopes to stay, but do the Rangers want to bring him back?
Colin Stephenson of Newsday: New York Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello is entering the final season of his contract and it sounds like he wants to be back.
“I think everyone knows that this is where I want to be, and if we figure something out, that’s my main goal,’’ Zuccarello told Newsday Wednesday, before the Rangers hosted the Islanders at Madison Square Garden in their next-to-last game of the preseason. “But at the same time, if they don’t want me, there’s no point in me staying here if they don’t want me. Then I have to go.
“At the end of the day, it’s not up to me,’’ he continued. “I’ve got one year left on my deal and I’m here to compete and play well, and trying to do my best for the team to win as long as I’m here.’’
The question becomes do the Rangers see him to be in their plans.
Tough decisions for Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen
Chris Nichols of Nichols on Hockey: Bob McKenzie was on TSN 1290 and was talking about the Columbus Blue Jackets and their pending UFAs in Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. GM Jarmo Kekalainen is not in an easy position as both players have basically indicated that they are likely to be moving on, but are not 100 percent.
“So Jarmo’s calculation right now is, ‘Let’s not fan the flames here.’ He’s obviously got to listen if he gets trade action on any of these guys, and I’m sure he will on Panarin.”
The Blue Jackets are looking like a good team and the worst case scenario would be for them to be leading the Metropolitan division at the trade deadline.
“What do you do? How do you make those trades? Because you really don’t want to let these guys walk out the door for nothing.”
