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| Scott Cunningham/NHLI via Getty Images |
The New York Rangers might hold an answer to some of the
injury issues currently plaguing the NHL All-Star weekend in the form
of Mats Zuccarello. The game itself has
lost marquee names like Crosby, Iginla, Malkin and lesser known ones in Enstrom
and Hemsky to injury or personal issues.
Beyond that from the rookie selections Oiler’s forward Jordan Eberle is
also out of the skills competition. The goal of the weekend is
as much about promotion of the league and the marketing side as it is the game
itself. With that in mind, I propose the
NHL select Rangers’ rookie Mats Zuccarello as Eberle’s replacement. With
the NHL looking to add life to the weekend events via the fantasy draft on
Friday, this might be the year to make an outside the box choice for injury
replacement.
I am not arguing that Zuccarello is the next best rookie
forward statistically. The numbers are there with him only having 16 games at the NHL level and
only eight points on the season. What I am saying
is that Eberle was slated to be in the skills competition and what Zuccarello
has shown in his short time in the NHL is he is dynamically skilled and a
master in the shootout phase of the game.
The Norwegian winger is now 4-for-4 in tiebreakers in the NHL, with two
game-deciding goals, including key shootout tallies in each of the last two
games. With each passing attempt the
reaction of the goaltenders is the same; helplessness.
In addition to his qualifications for the position he would
be chosen for, a move like this would be excellent PR and marketing for the
NHL. The league is looking to continue
to grow the game around the world and adding Zuccarello would only increase
interest in Norway and throughout Europe.
The NHL would also obviously be able to sell the story of the ‘little
guy’ beating the odds and playing with the world’s best players on the biggest
stage. Imagine the intrigue of Mats
Zuccarello taking a shootout chance against Henrik Lundqvist on Saturday
night. Add to that the number of jersey’s
the league could sell both from Rangers fans and Zuccarello supporters around
the globe and this move makes too much sense not to do it.
