The New York Rangers had a disappointing end to the season after being eliminated in the playoffs by the Boston Bruins and after getting rid of head coach John Tortorella the team has started making some roster moves, including signing Mats Zuccarello to a one-year deal.
According to ESPN New York, the team re-signed the young star to a contract worth over $1.15 million and now the Rangers have just one restricted free agent left to sign in Derek Stepan. Zuccarello is just 25-years-old and he scored three goals and five assists in 15 games during the lockout season and he has spent his entire NHL career with the franchise. Zuccarello has spent three years with the Rangers and he is one of the key young players for the franchise.
The team decided to keep star Brad Richards after his benching during the playoffs last season and Zuccarello was very integral during the playoffs, notching six assists and seven points in 12 games for the Blueshirts. Last season the team ranked 15th in goals per game and 23rd in power play percentage and both areas will need to improve for the team to last longer in the postseason. The Rangers have a new head coach heading into the season and after Henrik Lundqvist helped the team rank fourth overall in the league in goals per game with just 2.3, they will rely heavily on him in the 2013-14 campaign.
