Zuccarello optimistic heading into uncertain
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — When Mats Zuccarello was not advancing the cause of his own foundation in Norway and the Right to Play movement with a monumental outdoor game in Oslo and through school initiatives in Africa, the winger focused this summer on getting stronger and erasing the memory of last season.
“It was a [crummy] season all around,” No. 36 told The Post before his preseason debut here in Saturday’s 5-2 defeat to the Islanders. “We missed the playoffs, we lost guys who were here for a long time who I care a lot about, our coach got fired, and I certainly didn’t play well enough, so I wanted to get that out of my mind and start moving forward.
“I worked a lot building my lower body and leg strength. I don’t think I was good enough with the puck or in battles last year, I was getting pushed off the puck too much, so that’s one thing I definitely wanted to improve. I feel good, maybe the best I’ve ever felt coming to training camp.”
Zuccarello is one of the survivors, the alternate captain in his eighth camp with the Rangers. At this moment, though, with his contract set to expire and free agency beckoning following the season, chances are far greater that he will go in a deadline rental deal than return for a ninth camp next September.
“That’s the business part that I don’t have control over,” said Zuccarello, who previously played through a final season of his contract in 2014-15 before signing his four-year, $18 million deal just prior to the deadline. “Of course it’s something I’ve thought about, I’m only human, but there’s no point in worrying about something I can’t control. That doesn’t do me any good.
“I’d like to be here, everyone knows that, but if they don’t want me, I’m sure some other team will. But for now, my thoughts are all about doing the best I can to help this team succeed.”
Success this year might be relative. For the first time in a long time, the Rangers are not expected to be in the playoff hunt. The Stanley Cup-or-bust thing kind of went bust in itself. So this camp marks the start of something new in a more profound way than usual.
“It is kind of a different mindset,” said Zuccarello, who emerged to become one of the Rangers’ most important players throughout Alain Vigneault’s five-year tenure behind the bench. “Every year we’ve come in with the goal of winning the Stanley Cup, but it’s adjusted a little bit. Now, it’s about making the playoffs.
“We know that not a lot of people believe in us, but I think that if we do what we’re told and play a hard, fast game, we can surprise people. I think making the playoffs is a realistic goal for us. Of course, in order for us to do that, a lot of guys have to step up.
“Players who weren’t part of the leadership group before have to step into that role and the leaders who are still here have to be better. I have to be better, Hanky [Lundqvist] has to be better.”
Zuccarello, as he selfidentified, will have to win the 50-50 battles of which he was too often on the wrong side of last year. He will have to be more engaged in the defensive
zone. And, though No. 36 led his club with 53 points (16-37), he will need to increase his production for a team that appears to lack substantial firepower.
“I need to score more goals,” said Zuccarello, who set up Ryan Spooner for a second-period powerplay goal with a nifty fake shot-pass from left to right. “That’s something I can improve.”
David Quinn is preaching his philosophy of hard, fast and relentless hockey to a receptive choir. That includes Zuccarello, who is creative as they come but is generally at his best when playing with a snarl and an edge.
“I have nothing negative to say about AV,” Zuccarello said of Vigneault. “We had a lot of success with him and I enjoyed having the chance to play for him. He was a really good coach. I think it was as difficult for him to get that [rebuild] letter as it was for us. It was hard.
“But I’m looking forward to playing for Quinn. There’s a good attitude here. I think everyone is positive and looks forward to coming to the rink every day and getting down to work. That includes me.”