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Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Jason Zucker battles Capitals center Nic Dowd for loose puck Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
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Countdown to camp: Still here, Jason Zucker is an X-factor for the Penguins

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Countdown to camp: Still here, Jason Zucker is an X-factor for the Penguins

To count down the days until Penguins training camp, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat writers Matt Vensel and Mike DeFabo will dive into a new topic each day until the first puck rattles the Plexiglass at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Today, we will continue the 10-part series with the left wing position.

When the Penguins in May entered an uncertain offseason following their playoff loss to the New York Islanders, it sure looked like Jason Zucker was a goner.

In 2021, the skilled winger scored just nine goals, often looked out of sorts and never really settled into a lineup spot. His production didn’t match his paychecks. And the front-office duo expressed a desire to get bigger and stronger. Moving on from Zucker, if possible, would be one way to try accomplishing that task.

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Maybe Ron Hextall and Brian Burke tried to trade him. They definitely left him there for the taking in the expansion draft, but the Seattle Kraken grabbed someone else. But as the start of training camp next week looms, Zucker is still here.

Join Penguins insiders Mike DeFabo and Matt Vensel on From the Point, as they discuss the latest team news.
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Barring a surprise last-minute trade, the Penguins will need him to deliver.

Evgeni Malkin could start 2021-22 on injured reserve. Sidney Crosby will miss at least the first few games, too. The Penguins traded away a secondary scorer and power-play contributor in Jared McCann. And they are wary of overtaxing their Olympians.

Now would be a great time for the guy Jim Rutherford acquired to show up.

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Zucker has five 20-goal seasons on his resume, and in 2017-18, he had 33 goals and 64 points for the Minnesota Wild. He is talented, still an above-average skater and has flashed short-area playmaking skills. He has heart, as evidenced by his gutsy Game 6 against the Islanders, when he finished the night on one leg.

Inexplicably, Zucker hasn’t been able to piece all that together in Pittsburgh. But with another chance and a clean slate, there is still hope for the 29-year-old.

He is expected to skate on the second line, which will be centered by Jeff Carter once Crosby is ready to return (there is still no timetable for Malkin, whose recovery and rehabilitation from offseason knee surgery could theoretically keep him out of the lineup until midseason). Kasperi Kapanen should play the right side.

Zucker and Carter produced encouraging results together in a small sample last season, though McCann’s chemistry with Carter was a major factor. Zucker and Carter had a 55.7 expected goals percentage at 5-on-5, per Natural Stat Trick, while earning 56% of the high-danger chances and outscoring opponents, 5-3.

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Zucker should be fully recovered from the lower-leg injury that disrupted his 2021 season. If he can start this season strong, the Penguins will feel much better about their supporting cast. But if Zucker stumbles again, they could be stuck with a $5.5 million player who will prove to be difficult (or costly) to trade away.

Sorting out the bottom six

During the NHL’s initial free agent frenzy in July, the Penguins quietly signed a pair of veteran wingers who figure to initially slot into their bottom six.

Brock McGinn is a feisty winger who must replace some of the energy, physicality and intangibles Brandon Tanev brought to the table. He was that kind of a player in Carolina, throwing hits, killing penalties and chipping in offensively. The 6-foot, 187-pound winger had eight goals and 13 points in 37 games in 2021.

He likely slots into Tanev’s old spot. If so, the question would then become whether he or Zach Aston-Reese, both lefties, skates on Teddy Blueger’s right.

Danton Heinen is a two-way winger with a good shot and more scoring upside. He had a quiet season in Anaheim in 2021 but previously produced in Boston.

Given uncertainty at other positions, it’s unclear at this point with whom Heinen will play when camp opens. But throughout the season he may be utilized similarly to McCann, who, like Tanev, is now in Seattle. Heinen is a candidate to move up and down the lineup based on the team’s needs and will be in the power-play mix.

Michael Chaput, Dominik Simon and Brian Boyle are other vets vying for roster spots alongside prospects Samuel Poulin, Filip Hallander and Drew O’Connor. Poulin, a 2019 first-round pick, will be a player to watch these next three weeks.

Is there more to Aston-Reese?

After the Kraken selected Tanev during the July expansion draft, the Penguins brought back Aston-Reese, a restricted free agent who was available for the taking, and bumped his pay up to $1.75 million.

The 27-year-old finally put injuries behind him and had his best NHL season in 2021. He had another strong defensive campaign. He can be a handful for opponents on the forecheck, though the Penguins would like him to more often throw his 204 pounds around. And he scored a career-high nine goals in 45 games.

With a full offseason to build back up his strength and sharpen his skills, can he take his game to another level and become a legitimate two-way presence?

Matt Vensel: mvensel@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mattvensel.

First Published: September 14, 2021, 11:00 a.m.
Updated: September 14, 2021, 11:02 a.m.

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