ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild signed right wing Mats Zuccarello to a two-year, $8.25 million contract extension on Friday, solidifying their top line beyond this season.
Zuccarello, 36, has three 20-goal seasons in 13 years in the NHL, two of them with the Wild over the last two seasons. He had 22 goals and a team-leading 45 assists in 2022-23 while averaging a career-high 20:12 of average ice time per game.
The Norway native is a close friend and linemate of star Kirill Kaprizov and is entering his fifth year with the Wild. The extension, which will count $4.125 million against the salary cap in each of the next two seasons, puts five of the Wild's top six forwards under contract through at least 2024-25. Ryan Hartman, the usual center between Kaprizov and Zuccarello, is due to become a free agent next summer.
Zuccarello, who began his career with the New York Rangers, signed a five-year, $30 million deal with Minnesota on July 1, 2019.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
The Associated Press
