Pittsburgh Penguins finally managed to land Minnesota Wild’s winger Jason Zucker. After failing to acquire Zucker last year, Penguins decided to make another attempt this week and they finally closed the deal.
According to the club’s official statement, Penguins gave up center Alex Galchenyuk and defenseman Calen Addison in order to land Zucker. As part of the deal, Wild will also receive a conditional first-round pick in 2020.
Zucker played 45 games in NHL this season, contributing with 14 goals, and 15 assists for a total of 29 points.
“Jason Zucker is a top-six forward that we think will be a great fit for our group,” said Pittsburgh’s general manager Jim Rutherford in a statement. “He’s a proven goal scorer, and with three more years on his current contract, he has the potential to make an impact for us moving forward.”
Zucker spent his entire NHL career with the Wild, making his debut in 2012. He went on to play 456 games in the league and score 132 goals alongside 111 assists. In 2017, he had the best plus-minus (+34) in the entire league.
Galchenyuk is a veteran who previously played with Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes. He has 132 goals and 181 assists in 535 NHL games. Addison, on the other side, is a former second-round pick and is yet to make his NHL debut.
