Arizona Coyotes land Jason Zucker in free agency

The Arizona Coyotes have signed veteran forward Jason Zucker to a one-year contract on the opening day of free agency.

It’s clear that the Arizona Coyotes are looking to be more competitive in the 2023-24 season, and general manager Bill Armstrong has already started to build a roster stronger than last season’s group with the signing of Jason Zucker.

Winner of the 2018-19 King Clancy Award, Zucker is coming off his best season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he scored 27 goals and registered 48 points in 78 regular season games, the fifth season of his career with at least 20 goals scored.

The 31-year-old is a versatile winger, capable of playing either side of the ice, and will bolster the Coyotes’ top-six forwards group.

During his final year in Pittsburgh, Zucker showed an enhanced ability to put his body on the line with 197 hits, by far the highest single-season total of his career, which will come in handy as the Coyotes look to complement the likes of Clayton Keller.

Zucker has gained a wealth of experience at the NHL level since being selected in the second round (59th overall) of the 2010 Draft by the Minnesota Wild, which will be highly valued by a Coyotes team looking to integrate more of its promising young talent this season.

The Newport Beach, California native has amassed 628 regular season appearances between the Wild and Penguins, scoring 182 goals and registering 338 total points, with the peak of his career arguably coming during the 2017-18 season, where he scored 33 goals and had 64 points in a full 82-game season.

Zucker’s short term will raise questions as to what the Coyotes’ plan for him beyond the 2023-24 campaign will be, as it could make him a logical asset that could be moved at the trade deadline if the team believes they can recoup something to help them move forward in their rebuild.

If he has a strong year, where he is likely to play top-six minutes, he could be in line for a longer-term extension by year’s end, making him a vital veteran to have on a team that will be looking for leadership and proven quality moving forward.