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Mats Zuccarello, Minnesota Wild (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Wild 2024-25 Report Cards: Mats Zuccarello

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Mariah E. Stark | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 9:55 AM ET

The NHL has slowed down for the most part with a signing here and there, but the report cards for the Minnesota Wild continue to move along. Joel Eriksson Ek was the most recent grade, and now it’s time for Mats Zuccarello. Like Eriksson Ek, he had some injury struggles, but thankfully, it didn’t keep him out as long as some of his teammates.

He bounced around from line to line just like some of his teammates, and he adjusted quite well. At 37 years old, and going to be 38 years old when the new season starts, he doesn’t seem to be slowing down. He’s maybe not meant to be on the top line anymore, but he’s still a valuable asset on the second line. In this article, we’ll look at how he contributed in the regular season and the playoffs to determine an overall grade, starting with the regular season.

Zuccarello Bounced Back

He started off the season strong, producing points nearly every other game, and had 14 points tallied in 16 games played before he was knocked out of the lineup. His injury was the result of friendly fire: a slapshot from Brock Faber that took him out for a month, but when he returned, he contributed to the lineup right away.

Fortunately, that was the only injury issue he faced, and he played the rest of the season without issue. He played in 69 games total and scored 19 goals, plus he assisted on 35 others for 54 points. He wasn’t just effective at five-on-five either; 16 of those 54 points were tallied on the power play, and despite his age, he still averaged just over 19 minutes of ice time a game.

Despite his production on the offensive side of things, defensively, he was just as impactful. Even after his injury, he was able to continue to throw his body around with 32 hits, and despite being hit by a slap shot that forced him to miss games, he didn’t back down from blocking 48 shots. An unfortunate side of his game was his 77 turnovers, but he made up for it with his 29 takeaways, which were tied for the second-highest on the roster. He started the season strong, was knocked out by an injury, but he found a way back to his game to end the regular season on a high note.

Zuccarello’s Decent Postseason

He wasn’t at the top of the Wild’s statsheet for postseason points, but he did make an impact, just a smaller one. Zuccarello played in all six games of the playoffs and scored one goal and tallied two assists for three points, while his teammate, and usually his linemate, Kirill Kaprizov, led the team with nine points.

On the defensive side, his numbers dropped a bit, while he still had 11 hits; he only had one blocked shot. On the bright side, his giveaways dropped to just six, and he had two takeaways. The Wild could’ve used more from Zuccarello, but he did put up points and helped his team have one of the best postseason efforts in a while. They didn’t make it far, but they did have the effort, which is something that has lacked in past seasons.

Although he didn’t produce a lot, his lone goal was the game-winning goal in Game 2 that gave the Wild a tie in the series as they came back home. It may not have mattered in the end, but it was a momentum shift they needed at the time, which is what Zuccarello can provide.

Zuccarello’s Overall Grade

Like Eriksson Ek, Zuccarello was able to contribute to the lineup despite having a rough injury to return from. He put up quite a few points and had a strong season where he earned an A-. His grade wasn’t higher because of the number of turnovers he had, something he needs to control a bit more in the future, but it wasn’t lower because of all he overcame and still found ways to be an impact on the lineup.

His postseason grade is a little lower at a B, because he couldn’t quite translate his regular-season game to the postseason. He put up points, but not as many as the Wild needed or expected. However, his grade isn’t lower because he did find ways to contribute, just not enough.

Combining the two grades, he earned a B+ overall for the season. It wasn’t lower because, again, he did find ways to impact the lineup both offensively and defensively. However, it wasn’t higher because he has things to improve in his game, like his turnovers and finding a way to level up his game in the postseason, and hopefully, this coming season, he can do that.