In the final year of his contract, Jason Zucker finally became the player the Penguins hoped they were acquiring during the 2019-20 season.
Zucker potted six goals to go along with six assists in his first 15 games with the Penguins upon acquisition from the Wild. Jake Guentzel was out of the lineup due to injury at the time, so the majority of Zucker's ice-time was spent alongside Sidney Crosby.
The pandemic forced that regular season to end early, and by the time things picked back up for the postseason, Guentzel was healthy and returned to Crosby's flank while Zucker was moved to Evgeni Malkin's line. Despite being stylistic fits for each other and flashing some serious chemistry, the Zucker-Crosby duo was never revisited for any meaningful amount of time.
Zucker missed 85 games due to injuries over the two seasons that followed. When he was in the lineup, his scoring and overall production fell off a cliff from the early standard he set. Just 17 goals and 18 assists in 79 games wasn't nearly enough for the $5.5 million he was counting against the salary cap.
This past season was a different story. Most importantly, he missed only four games, and with a mostly clean bill of health and rejuvenated love for the sport, Zucker was often the one dragging the Penguins into the fight. The 27 goals he scored marked the second-highest total of his career, as did the 48 points he recorded. At 5-on-5, he found the back of the net 24 times, which was good for 14th in the NHL and first on the Penguins.
That kind of production isn't easily replaced, and neither is his infectious energy. Still, he'll be 32 midway through next season and does carry some injury risk. Whoever becomes the new general manager will have to make the call on whether or not to bring him back.
There are hardly any left-wingers set to become unrestricted free agents who would be a viable Zucker replacement if he doesn't return. The one exception might be Tyler Bertuzzi.
After spending the first six-plus seasons of his career with the Red Wings, Bertuzzi, 28, was dealt to the Bruins prior to the trade deadline this past season. At 6-foot-1, he's a few inches taller than Zucker, but plays a somewhat similar game in the sense that he brings unrelenting energy and aggressiveness.
With two 20-goal seasons already under his belt, Bertuzzi had the best season of his career in 2021-22. He scored 30 goals and had 32 assists in 68 games with a 94th percentile rank toward his team's ability to generate quality offense at even-strength, per JFresh Hockey. He did, however, fall off those paces considerably at the start of the 2022-23 season. In 29 games with the Red Wings prior to being traded, he had only four goals and 10 assists.
There's no doubt playing on a stacked Bruins team helped, but either way, Bertuzzi got back to producing after the trade and put up 16 points in 21 games before posting 10 points in seven postseason games. While important not to overvalue a seven-game sample simply because it was the playoffs, his performance in the Bruins' first-round series with the Panthers gave a glimpse of some of his best attributes.
He's not going to score five goals every seven games like he did in that series (just look at the eight goals he had in 50 regular-season games prior to the playoffs), but this is a player who can finish and has the track record to back it up.
Exhibit A:
Beyond that wicked release, this play also speaks to Bertuzzi's hockey IQ. He did a great job of recognizing a pass was about to come his way as he put himself in a better spot to receive it, then deceptively looked off Sergei Bobrovsky -- as if to pass through the middle -- before shooting against the grain for a goal. He doesn't have the heaviest shot, but he can put some zip on the puck when he has time and space. He's also shown an ability to snipe off the rush, either through a defender or after making a move around them.
However, it's worth noting Zucker tends to do a better job of creating looks for himself. This past season, he attempted shots and generated quality chances at a considerably higher rate than Bertuzzi during full-strength action. I'd be shocked if Zucker doesn't see a pullback on those rates next season, though.
The biggest difference between the two players is that Bertuzzi is a much better passer and playmaker. His passes are routinely crisp and directly to the recipient's blade, even if he has to put the puck through traffic. Part of the reason for that is simply possessing a better set of mitts, but it's also because he seems to always know where his teammates are.
Just another item that points to his high hockey IQ:
Setting up as the net-front guy on the power play (something he does quite well for his size), Bertuzzi positioned his stick to the outside and away from the slot instead of positioning himself for a one-touch shot that likely would've ended up in Bobrovsky's crest. By doing this, he made it appear as if he was in a poor position to make a play, which pulled the defensive coverage toward him. He baited the defenders and, as soon as they lunged, whipped a backhand feed right through the ice they just vacated. If the defenders hadn't bitten, he would've had enough space for a quick turn toward the net and an attempt at flicking a shot upstairs.
Bertuzzi is an intriguing power-play option because he can effectively play at the net-front, but can also dish from anywhere. That allows him to roam the zone with off-puck movement before eventually working his way back around the crease. In some instances, like the one below, it catches opposing penalty-kills napping:
I have a hard time seeing Jake Guentzel come off the top power-play unit, but I do believe Bertuzzi could bring elements that he doesn't in the net-front role. Here's another example of him creating space for himself out front for an easy tap-in on the man advantage:
Bertuzzi is very slippery on top of the crease. He holds his own battling for positioning and then quickly pounces on loose pucks by either putting them on goal or passing to a teammate in open ice.
He's often the first one flying in on the forecheck, looking to use his quickness and high pace of play to force turnovers. Once the puck is coughed up, he can make something happen in a hurry:
On the defensive side of things, Bertuzzi isn't going to be confused with Mark Stone. His defensive impacts have been rather poor the last two seasons and doesn't figure to be a positive influence on his team's ability to limit quality chances against. That's easily ignored with what he brings to the table offensively.
I could split hairs in an attempt to assert whether Bertuzzi or Zucker will provide more value next season, but I'm not convinced either one will considerably outperform the other. If there was some sort of guarantee that Zucker would repeat his performance from this past season, I'd be inclined to roll with him. On the flip side, I believe Bertuzzi's potential is greater at the respective stages of their careers.
According to the contract projections of Evolving-Hockey, Bertuzzi is projected to receive a four-year deal with an annual cap hit of $5.42 million if he doesn't re-sign with the Bruins. The dollar amount is a bit steeper than I'd be comfortable with considering some of the other holes the Penguins will need to fill, but if Zucker doesn't return, Bertuzzi will easily be the best alternative via free agency.
Leading up to the start of free agency, I will be profiling select pending unrestricted free agents and taking a look at whether or not they might be a strong fit with the Penguins. Drop a comment and tell me who you'd like to see profiled next.
PREVIOUS UFA PROFILES
• Pierre Engvall (Forward)
