Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Keeps team in fight Thursday
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Zuccarello scored twice and added a power-play assist in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Red Wings.
Zuccarello set up Kirill Kaprizov on the Wild's first goal. In the third period, Zuccarello had two tallies, each of which tied the game, setting the stage for Kaprizov to be the hero in overtime. The 38-year-old Zuccarello has earned three goals and five assists during a four-game point streak. That surge puts him at eight goals, 29 points (10 on the power play) and 63 shots on net through 32 outings this season.
Zuccarello set up two goals Tuesday in a 4-3 win over Montreal.
Both helpers came on the power play. Zuccarello is on a three-game, five-point streak (one goal, four assists). Three of those points -- one goal and two assists -- have come on the power play. Zuccarello has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) and 30 shots in his last 13 games.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Pots another OT winner
Rotowire
Zuccarello scored the overtime winner on the power play and added an even-strength assist in Saturday's 5-4 win over Buffalo.
It was his second GWG of the season, and both have come in OT in the last five games. Zuccarello has been making an impact since returning from an upper-body injury in late December, collecting four goals and 11 points in 14 contests.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Nets game-winner in overtime
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Zuccarello scored a goal on three shots, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Kraken.
Zuccarello's tally came at 2:09 of overtime on a feed from Kirill Kaprizov. The 38-year-old Zuccarello has three goals and three assists over his last seven outings, showing he can still offer quality offense in a top-six role. He's up to five goals, 20 points, 50 shots on net and a minus-2 rating across 25 appearances this season, though he carries a fairly high injury risk given his age and history.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Ties game in third with goal
Rotowire
Zuccarello scored a goal and placed two shots on net in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss to San Jose.
Zuccarello extended Minnesota's chances to win Wednesday's contest with an unassisted goal just under nine minutes into the final period to tie the game at three scores apiece. The goal was his second in the past three games, and both scores have helped send the Wild to an extra period or beyond. Overall, the 38-year-old winger has four goals, 17 points and 39 shots on net through 21 appearances this year. The 16-year NHL veteran is nearly a point-per-game player when healthy this season and should continue to be a steady source of offense in Minnesota's top six. He holds above-average fantasy value in most point-based formats for the foreseeable future.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Two helpers against Oilers
Rotowire
Zuccarello collected two assists, one on the power play, in Saturday's 5-2 win over Edmonton.
Activated from IR earlier in the day after missing five contests with an upper-body injury, Zuccarello was plugged right back in on the Wild's top line at even strength alongside Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman, as well as the team's top power-play unit. The 38-year-old Zuccarello has been limited to 16 games so far in 2025-26, but he's been productive when on the ice, delivering two goals and 14 points.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Activated from injured reserve
Rotowire
Zuccarello (upper body) was activated from injured reserve Saturday, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Zuccarello will return to the lineup against Edmonton on Saturday after missing the last five games. He played on the top line with Kirill Kaprizov before he was hurt, and could be a second-line player if the Wild decide to keep Matt Boldy on the first unit. Zuccarello has two goals and 10 assists in 15 appearances this season.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Put on injured reserve
Rotowire
Zuccarello (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Thursday.
Zuccarello was injured in the opening frame Monday in Seattle and did not return. The 38-year-old Norwegian had two goals and 12 points in 15 games before he was hurt. The Wild recalled Nicolas Aube-Kubel from AHL Iowa in a corresponding move.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Exits Monday's game in Seattle
Rotowire
Head coach John Hynes stated that Zuccarello (undisclosed) is "doing okay," but he didn't have a timeline for the winger, Sarah McLellan of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports Monday.
Zuccarello left Monday's 4-1 win over the Kraken in the first period after taking a big hit from Vince Dunn. The 38-year-old Zuccarello was able to get up and skate off on his own, which was encouraging when taking into account the nature of the hit. He should be considered day-to-day ahead of Thursday's home game against the Stars.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Earns two points Saturday
Rotowire
Zuccarello scored a power-play goal, added an assist and went minus-2 in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Canucks.
Zuccarello had gone seven games without a multi-point effort, and he was held off the scoresheet altogether in the previous two contests. The 38-year-old winger is up to two goals, 12 points, 27 shots on net and a minus-3 rating through 14 contests overall. Zuccarello should continue to provide some playmaking-heavy offense while adding little in the way of non-scoring production as a top-six winger for the Wild.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Supplies two helpers
Rotowire
Zuccarello produced two assists, three shots on goal and two blocked shots in Sunday's 3-2 overtime win over the Golden Knights.
Zuccarello has resumed his status as a high-end playmaker after overcoming a lower-body injury. He's earned four helpers, including two on the power play, over five games since returning to the lineup. The winger has added eight shots on net, three blocked shots, two hits and a minus-1 rating. He'll continue to see time in the top six and on the first power-play unit.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Pockets helper in season debut
Rotowire
Zuccarello registered an assist in Friday's 5-2 win over the Islanders.
The Wild balanced ice time well, with Zuccarello seeing 16:14 in a first-line role and power-play usage. The 38-year-old missed 15 contests due to a lower-body injury, which he sustained before the preseason. Zuccarello was initially given a 7-8 week timeline in late September, but he was back a little earlier than expected. The winger is injury-prone, and his age adds more risk, but he's productive when he is healthy.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Activated off IR
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Zuccarello (lower body) was taken off injured reserve ahead of Friday's clash with the Islanders, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.
Zuccarello should be in line for a top-six role as he makes his 2025-26 season debut. In 69 games for the Wild last year, the veteran winger notched 19 goals and 35 helpers, including 16 power-play points. Even if Zuccarello doesn't miss any more games this year, he won't reach the 70-game mark for the third straight season, which could also stop him from getting over the 20-goal threshold.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Not available Thursday
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Zuccarello (lower body) has been ruled out for Thursday's game in Carolina, per Joe Smith of The Athletic.
Zuccarello has a good chance to return to the lineup Friday against the Islanders. The 38-year-old native of Norway will miss his 15th game of the season. He will replace Marcus Johansson on the top line, alongside Kirill Kaprizov and Marco Rossi, if he is cleared to play Friday.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Could return next week
Rotowire
Per Jessi Pierce of NHL.com, Zuccarello (lower body) could return in the next week or so, according to head coach John Hynes on Friday.
It was reported Tuesday that Zuccarello was 2-4 weeks away from returning to game action, but that timetable has been moved up. Zuccarello has dealt with a lower-body issue since training camp and has yet to play a game in 2025-26. Upon his return to the lineup, look for Zuccarello to have a spot as a top-six forward, with Marcus Johansson likely moving down to the third line. The 38-year-old Zuccarello had 19 goals and 35 assists in 69 regular-season games in 2024-25.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Begins skating
Rotowire
Zuccarello (lower body) was on the ice for Tuesday's game-day skate but remains 2-4 weeks from returning to action, Jessi Pierce of NHL.com reports.
Zuccarello has yet to get into the lineup this season and will likely have to wait until closer to mid-November to get his first opportunity to suit up this year. Once given the all-clear, Zuccarello should be in line for a top-six role, which could mean Marcus Johansson is relegated to a spot in the bottom six.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Placed on injured reserve
Rotowire
Zuccarello (lower body) was shifted to injured reserve Monday, per PuckPedia.
Zuccarello isn't expected back in the lineup for the foreseeable future, as the Wild said Tuesday that the veteran forward is set to miss at least 7-8 weeks due to his lower-body injury. While the 38-year-old is sidelined, Vladimir Tarasenko figures to fill a top-six role, and Matt Boldy will probably see his average ice time increase for the third consecutive season as a result of Zuccarello's absence.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: No timetable to return
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Head coach John Hynes said Sunday that Zuccarello (back) doesn't yet have a timetable to return, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports.
Zuccarello has been dealing with a back injury since mid-September that was already expected to sideline him for the start of the regular season, and Hynes reiterated Sunday that the 38-year-old will be "out for a while." While it's not yet clear when Zuccarello will be able to make his season debut, Liam Ohgren is a candidate to handle an increased role for the Wild early in the year.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Battling back injury
Rotowire
Zuccarello's previously undisclosed injury is related to his back, and he'll spend the next 4-5 days off the ice in an attempt to calm it down, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports Wednesday.
General manager Bill Guerin previously suggested that Zuccarello probably won't be ready for the start of the season. Although he's 38 years old, Zuccarello is still more than capable of serving in a top-six capacity when healthy. He had 19 goals and 54 points across 69 regular-season outings last year. Liam Ohgren might start the season with a significant role with the Wild if Zuccarello isn't ready for Opening Night.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Slated to miss time
Rotowire
General manager Bill Guerin said Thursday that "something has come up" with Zuccarello in recent weeks that will likely force him to miss at least the start of the regular season, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.
Zuccarello has appeared in at least 69 games in each of the last four seasons, but it appears as though he'll begin the 2025-26 campaign sidelined due to an undisclosed issue. It's not yet clear when the 38-year-old will be able to return to game action, but Guerin said that Liam Ohgren will have an opportunity to step up in Zuccarello's absence.
