Mats Zuccarello, Rangers Agree to New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

Matz Zuccarello will remain a member of the New York Rangers for the foreseeable future.

The impending unrestricted free agent has signed a four-year contract extension worth $18 million, per Katie Strang of ESPN.com. The report adds that a partial trade protection clause is part of the new deal. The team announced the deal on Monday night:

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Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather completed a very busy past few days, which included three trades prior to the NHL trading deadline, by hammering out a contract extension with the team's popular right-wing Mats Zuccarello this weekend. The deal was officially announced by the Rangers prior to Monday evening's game against Nashville, though Sather laughingly said a couple hours earlier that he had a handshake agreement with Zuccarello's representatives two days prior.

"I like everything about him--his tenacity, his hard work, his seeing the ice, the way he plays, the chemistry he brings to our team and the way he is in the dressing room," Sather said of Zuccarello on Monday afternoon. "He's been a perfect player for us."

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Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News broke down the full details of the deal on Monday:

For a while, it didn't appear this was going to happen. In late February, the New York Post's Larry Brooks reported that the Rangers were offering around $4 million per year, while Zuccarello was seeking north of $5 million.   

Because the sides were so far apart, the winger was reportedly made available on the trade market, per Strang.

But the goal for each party was always for Zuccarrello, who entered the NHL with New York in 2010-11, to remain a Blueshirt, and that has now been accomplished.

The 27-year-old winger led New York in points (59) a season ago and has scored 35 (12 goals, 23 assists) through 59 games this year for the Stanley Cup contenders. As InsideHockey.com's Seth Rothman added, he's also a favorite among the Rangers fanbase:

Spotrac indicates that New York doesn't have much salary-cap space, making this a potentially risky move for a player who has never hit 20 goals in a single season. But Zuccarello, who likely could have gotten more on the open market, has been a key part of this team's success the last two years.

With forwards Martin St. Louis, Derek Stepan and Carl Hagelin hitting free agency in the summer, keeping him became even more important.

With Derick Brassard and Rick Nash also signed long-term, head coach Alain Vigneault's team should have no trouble racking up goals over the next several seasons.