TRADE: Jason Zucker Sent To Predators

The Arizona Coyotes held out forward Jason Zucker from their game Thursday night for "trade-related purposes", and today, that trade has come through, as they've struck a deal to send him to the Nashville Predators.  

The @PredsNHL have reportedly acquired Jason Zucker!#Preds pic.twitter.com/0WzIDsAjzn

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) March 8, 2024

A sixth-round pick heads to the Coyotes in return.  

The Predators are currently holding down the top Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. In Zucker, they get a middle-six offensive winger who's having a down season this year in Arizona, with just 9 goals in 51 games, after a 27-goal performance last year with Evgeni Malkin by his side on the Pittsburgh Penguins. His ice time was down as well in the desert this year, to just 14 minutes a night.

Zucker, 32, does have six 20+ goal seasons in his 13 years in the NHL, and should be a solid help for the Preds' middle-six.

He's coming off a one-year, $5.3 million deal with the Yotes, and becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season. Several teams had been considering trading for Zucker, including the NY Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, among others. The Predators win the bidding.

Injuries had held Zucker down in his previous few seasons with Pittsburgh, but overall he has had a solid career. He was the 59th selection (2nd round) by the Minnesota Wild in 2010, and has 191 goals and 363 points in 679 career games split between the Wild, Penguins, and Coyotes.

PHoto: James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports