ST. PAUL, Minn. — Mats Zuccarello is not ready to stop playing hockey. More importantly for the Minnesota Wild, he does not sound ready to leave Minnesota either.
After a painful playoff exit, the 38-year-old winger spoke openly about his future, his connection with Kirill Kaprizov, and why it would be “hard” to picture himself anywhere else.
“It’s going to be hard to see yourself leaving here, for sure,” Zuccarello said. “My family and my girls are growing up here. It feels like home.”
The future has quietly become one of the bigger questions facing the Wild this offseason.
Zuccarello just finished the final year of his contract and will turn 39 next season. For most players, that stage of a career usually signals the beginning of the end.
But neither Zuccarello nor the people around him sound convinced that end is coming soon.
“I still think I'd like to play a couple more years — a year or two more years,” Zuccarello said. “I feel good.”
Even after another long NHL season and another deep playoff run that ended in disappointment, Zuccarello insisted his body still feels capable of continuing.
“I feel like I'm 22,” he joked. “Obviously, everyone's banged up at this time of year … but other than that, I feel good.”
And on the ice, the results still back it up.
Zuccarello continued to be one of the Wild’s most important offensive drivers this season.
He recorded 15 goals, 39 assists and 54 points in 59 games this season after missing the first few months with an injury. He recorded two goals, seven assists and nine points in eight playoff games as well.
In his previous nine seasons before coming to Minnesota, Zuccarello had over 60 points just one time. He has recorded over 60 points, three different times with Minnesota and had a career-high 79 point season in 2021-22
The Norwegian star has recorded 118 goals, 271 assists and 389 points in 452 career games with the Wild. He is fourth all-time in Wild career assists and first among wingers.
He set a Wild franchise record in 2021-22 for most assists in a single season (55) before Kirill Kaprizov broke it that same season.
Zuccarello had a great season while once again showing the chemistry with Kaprizov that has defined Minnesota’s offense for years.
That connection remains one of the most important dynamics inside the organization.
“I would say hockey-wise this is probably my six best years in hockey,” Zuccarello said. “It also comes with playing with a player that kind of knows where I want him to be and he also knows where I’m going to be.”
There is no secret about the relationship between the two stars. It extends far beyond the ice.
Kaprizov has repeatedly referred to Zuccarello as one of his closest friends on the team, and Zuccarello has become both a mentor and calming presence for the Wild superstar since Kaprizov entered the league.
That relationship matters even more now with Kaprizov beginning his massive new contract extension and the Wild entering what they believe is their true Stanley Cup contention window.
Zuccarello made it clear he still believes that window is open.
Best friends Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello hugging. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
Despite the frustration of another playoff exit, the veteran winger spoke glowingly about the direction of the organization, specifically mentioning the emergence of Brock Faber and the addition of Quinn Hughes as signs that the future remains bright.
“You’re still excited for the future for this team and what comes next,” Zuccarello said. “We took a step.”
He especially praised Hughes, who immediately transformed the Wild after arriving in Minnesota.
“He’s a top, top player,” Zuccarello said. “The future is bright if you can have all these core guys stick together.”
That also includes Kaprizov, who Zuccarello defended passionately when discussing the pressure that comes with being one of the NHL’s highest-paid stars.
“The pressure is always there,” Zuccarello said. “He’s an emotional guy … just have fun, that’s when he plays the best.”
But while Zuccarello clearly still sees himself as part of the Wild’s future, he also acknowledged the reality of the business side of hockey.
“It’s up to Billy and us to talk about,” Zuccarello said. “You know how it is.”
Still, it was hard to ignore how personal his answers became whenever Minnesota came up.
This is no longer simply where Zuccarello plays hockey. It is where his family has built a life.
“It feels like home,” he said again.
For years, Zuccarello has been one of Kirill Kaprizov’s closest friends, linemates, and biggest supporters in Minnesota.
And if Kaprizov has his way, that partnership is not ending anytime soon.
“I don’t feel like he can be done in next one or two years,” Kaprizov said. “I don’t see it.”
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