Mats Zuccarello is headed back to injured reserve after another upper-body injury, dealing the Los Angeles Kings another frustrating setback just as the veteran was trying to find his footing in LA.

Kirill Kaprizov quickly became close friends with Mats Zuccarello when he joined the Minnesota Wild, a pair of wings with complementary styles who frequently skated together on the first line and forged an even stronger connection off the ice. Zuccarello left as a free agent for the Los Angeles Kings, leaving a void behind him as a playmaking right wing and a trusted and buoyant voice in the locker room. Kaprizov, who's 10 years younger than Zuccarello, came to Minnesota during the pandemic and spoke little English.

Sidestep inflated draft costs and roster-killing busts by identifying big-name stars whose projected roles and diminishing returns fail to justify their high-stakes average draft positions.

The 39-year-old winger signed a one-year deal with Los Angeles after seven years with the Minnesota Wild

The projected second line for the Los Angeles Kings are Erik Haula, Kevin Fiala and Mats Zuccarello. Here’s how each forward will rank based on expected production for next season.

There were multiple moves made during the offseason by Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin, among them including the acquisitions of Blake Coleman and Olli Maatta from the Calgary Flames in return for Jake Middleton and a trio of draft selections.Additionally, the Wild did not retain veteran forwards Mats Zuccarello and Vladimir Tarasenko; Zuccarello signed […] The post Wild Could Regret Not Retaining Popular Veteran Forward appeared first on HEAVY.

Following a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that the Minnesota Wild let Mats Zuccarello walk because he and Kirill Kaprizov were essentially too good together, we look at three other NHL duos that might be too reliant on one another.

Mats Zuccarello pushed back on reports about his Minnesota Wild exit, saying the idea he was frustrated or “ticked off” was not true, while noting some disappointment in how the separation unfolded.