The Minnesota Wild have signed free agent right wing Mats Zuccarello to a five-year, $30 million contract, seeking more consistent production from their top two lines after their streak of six straight trips to the playoffs was snapped this spring.
Zuccarello has 355 points in 511 NHL regular season games, including a combined 12 goals and 28 assists in 48 games for the New York Rangers and the Dallas Stars while averaging a career-high 19:51 of ice time per game in 2018-19. The 31-year-old also has 42 points in 73 career playoff games.
Zuccarello, a 5-foot-8, 184-pound Finn, played the first eight-plus seasons of his career with the Rangers.
He signed with them as a 23-year-old free agent in 2010 and tallied 113 goals and 239 assists in 509 games, until he was traded in February two days before the deadline as the Stars stocked up for the postseason.
The Wild scored just 210 goals in 2018-19, the fifth-fewest in the league.
A person with knowledge of the decision says the Stars have agreed to a deal with veteran winger Corey Perry.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the contract has not yet been signed.
The NHL permits contracts to be signed beginning at noon Eastern.
The 34-year-old Perry was bought out by the Anaheim Ducks after a knee injury limited him to 10 points in 31 games.
Dallas will likely lose trade-deadline acquisition Mats Zuccarello, and the team let veteran center Jason Spezza walk in free agency.
A person with knowledge of the move tells The AP that Spezza agreed to a one-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Stars signed Joe Pavelski to a $21 million, three-year contract, adding another scoring threat to their leading duo of Tyler Seguin and captain Jamie Benn.
Pavelski led Western Conference finals qualifier San Jose with 38 goals in 75 regular-season games while adding 26 assists for 64 points.
The 34-year-old also led the Sharks with 12 power play goals.
Pavelski is
second in San Jose franchise history with 355 goals while ranking third in points (761) and assists
(406). He played his first 13 NHL seasons with the Sharks.
A person with direct knowledge of the decision tells The Associated Press the Dallas Stars have placed former first-round draft pick Valeri Nichushkin on waivers to buy out the final year of his contract.
The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the Stars did not announce the move made Saturday, two days before the start of the NHL’s free agency period.
The 24-year-old Nichushkin is from Russia and was selected by Dallas with the 10th pick in the 2013 draft. The forward had no goals and 10 assists in 57 regular-season games last year and appeared in just one playoff game.
Overall, Nichushkin had 23 goals and 51 assists in 223 games with Dallas over four seasons. He was set to count $2.95 million against the Stars’ salary cap next season.