When he was demoted to the Connecticut Whale (AHL) Mats
Zuccarello said that he was disappointed that he wasn’t given a shot to stick
on one of the New York Rangers top lines saying he would have to prove he was
worthy of that shot with his play in the minors. Last night Zuccarello made his season debut
with the Whale and certainly made his presence felt with two goals and an
assist during the Whale’s 5-0 win over Manchester.
Playing with John Mitchell and Carl Hagelin, Zuccarello
showed that his offensive skills are a dominant force at the AHL level. Unfortunately for Zuccarello, despite their
offensive woes, there does not appear to be a natural fit for him on the
Rangers top three offensive lines. Until
there becomes an opening at a skill spot in the lineup or Zuccarello gets
traded it will be the Whale that benefits from the 23-year-old winger’s skill
level.
The biggest beneficiary might be linemate Carl Hagelin who
like Zuccarello is trying to prove he is NHL ready, but the fact that Hagelin
has a better mix of skill, grit and penalty killing ability make him a better
fit for the Rangers identity. For those
who want Hagelin now however, he would be just as wasted on the fourth line as
Zuccarello was and is better off playing huge minutes in the AHL and
developing.
