Hockey Terminal
Be a GM

← All players

Photo of Jason Zucker

Jason Zucker

#17 · Left wing · Buffalo Sabres

Born Jan 16, 1992 in Newport Beach, California, USA (age 34) · 5'11", 200 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 59th overall in 2010 by MIN (round 2)

Trophy case

King Clancy Memorial Trophy Leadership and Humanitarian Contribution 2018-19

Compare with a similar player

The forwards closest to him in points in 2025-26. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Matt Duchene DAL · 45 P in 57 GP Mason Marchment CBJ · 45 P in 68 GP Ryan Leonard WSH · 45 P in 75 GP Matt Coronato CGY · 45 P in 80 GP Anton Lundell FLA · 44 P in 64 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

02040602011-12: 2 points211-122012-13: 5 points52013-14: 5 points513-142014-15: 26 points262015-16: 23 points2315-162016-17: 47 points472017-18: 64 points6417-182018-19: 42 points422019-20: 41 points4119-202020-21: 18 points182021-22: 17 points1721-222022-23: 48 points482023-24: 32 points3223-242024-25: 53 points532025-26: 45 points4525-26

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2011-12 MIN 6 0 2 2 -2 2 10 5 0.33 $772K
2012-13 MIN 20 4 1 5 4 8 34 11 0.25 $772K
2013-14 MIN 21 4 1 5 2 2 40 16 0.24 $772K
2014-15 MIN 51 21 5 26 -9 18 124 67 0.51 $900K
2015-16 MIN 71 13 10 23 -4 20 158 83 0.32 $900K
2016-17 MIN 79 22 25 47 34 30 172 73 0.59 $2M
2017-18 MIN 82 33 31 64 8 44 222 80 0.78 $2M
2018-19 MIN 81 21 21 42 -9 28 214 87 0.52 $5.5M
2019-20 MIN 45 14 15 29 -3 19 75 35 0.64 $5.5M
2019-20 PIT 15 6 6 12 -1 2 36 18 0.80
2020-21 PIT 38 9 9 18 -8 21 67 69 0.47 $5.5M
2021-22 PIT 41 8 9 17 -2 15 102 66 0.41 $5.5M
2022-23 PIT 78 27 21 48 -4 47 197 198 0.62 $5.5M
2023-24 ARI 51 9 16 25 -5 58 104 74 0.49 $5.3M
2023-24 NSH 18 5 2 7 -4 23 46 24 0.39
2024-25 BUF 73 21 32 53 4 57 143 68 0.73 $5M
2025-26 BUF 62 24 21 45 -5 23 128 57 0.73 $4.75M
15 seasons Career 832 241 227 468 -4 417 1872 1031 0.56

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2012-13 MIN 5 1 1 2 1 0 11 4 0.40
2014-15 MIN 10 2 1 3 -1 2 21 20 0.30
2015-16 MIN 6 0 2 2 -4 2 3 7 0.33
2016-17 MIN 5 1 0 1 -1 2 20 10 0.20
2017-18 MIN 5 0 0 0 -4 0 8 3 0.00
2019-20 PIT 4 2 0 2 0 0 12 8 0.50
2020-21 PIT 6 2 1 3 -1 2 12 22 0.50
2021-22 PIT 5 0 2 2 -3 2 9 23 0.40
2023-24 NSH 6 1 2 3 4 2 17 15 0.50
2025-26 BUF 13 2 2 4 -4 4 18 20 0.31
10 seasons Playoffs 65 11 11 22 -13 16 131 132 0.34

2025-26 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
62 24 21 45 -5 23 128 57 0.73 18.8 15:37

Contract

$4.75MCap hitends in 2027, then UFA
$106KCap dollars per point45 points in 62 games
$848KCap dollars per goal above replacement5.6 goals above replacement
$5.5MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
+$769KValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 715 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Buffalo Sabres on Mar 7, 2025, as an extension of the contract he was on: 2 years and $9.5M, beginning in 2025-26. It runs through 2026-27, with 1 season left after this one, and he is then an unrestricted free agent.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2025-26 $4.75M $3.75M $1M $4.75M M-NTC
2026-27 $4.75M $4.75M $0 $4.75M M-NTC

Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
Mar 7, 2025 Buffalo Sabres Extension 2025-26 to 2026-27 2 $9.5M $4.75M
Jul 1, 2024 Buffalo Sabres New contract 2024-25 to 2024-25 1 $5M $5M
Jul 1, 2023 Arizona Coyotes New contract 2023-24 to 2023-24 1 $5.3M $5.3M
Jul 25, 2018 Minnesota Wild New contract 2018-19 to 2022-23 5 $27.5M $5.5M
Jun 29, 2016 Minnesota Wild Extension 2016-17 to 2017-18 2 $4M $2M
Jul 15, 2014 Minnesota Wild New contract 2014-15 to 2015-16 2 $1.801M $900K
Mar 27, 2012 Minnesota Wild Entry-level 2011-12 to 2013-14 3 $2.5M $772K

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2025-26 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2025-26 playoff analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+0.0Goals above replacementsix goals are worth about one win
+0.0Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
-0.5Goals above averagethe five parts below added up
Even-strength offence+0.2Even-strength defence-0.9Power play+0.1Penalty kill0.0Penalties+0.2

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. A playoff run is too short to rank anyone on.

-5051015202011-122013-142015-162017-182019-202021-222023-242025-26Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

53.5Corsi for %159 attempts for, 138 against
-0.6CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
53.3Expected goals for %7.8 expected for, 6.8 against
-1.4xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
53.7Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
35.7Goals for %5 for, 9 against
94.6PDO8.2% shooting + 86.4% saves
38Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 135 skaters who played enough to be ranked: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile. PDO and attempts taken are left plain, since neither is good or bad on its own.

Who he played with

Forward lineGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Jason Zucker · Ryan McLeod · Jack Quinn1074:2354.746.42-6
Jason Zucker · Jack Quinn · Konsta Helenius438:4052.369.83-1
Jason Zucker · Jack Quinn · Tyson Kozak42:3250.078.40-0
Jason Zucker · Peyton Krebs · Jack Quinn32:2255.644.00-0

The lines he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's lines that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net.

2Goalsnot counting empty-netters
3.4Expected goalsfrom 40 unblocked attempts
-1.4Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 1.09 expected goals per 60 minutes74th
Shot quality 8.6% chance per attempt64th
Finishing -1.4 goals above expected21stOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 81 who played at least a quarter as much as the busiest in these playoffs.

0123Expected 3.4Goals 2

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took in these playoffs, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. There is a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. "Show as heat map" shades the ice by where the attempts came from. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 13, 2026 @ CHI W 5-1 0 1 1 0 2 2 1 14:09
Apr 9, 2026 vs CBJ W 5-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 14:18
Apr 8, 2026 @ NYR W 5-3 1 1 2 2 0 4 0 18:14
Apr 6, 2026 vs TBL W 4-2 1 1 2 2 0 4 0 13:44
Apr 4, 2026 @ WSH L 2-6 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 18:20
Apr 2, 2026 @ OTT L 1-4 0 0 0 -2 0 0 2 16:48
Mar 31, 2026 vs NYI W 4-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 15:32
Mar 28, 2026 vs SEA W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 14:05
Mar 27, 2026 vs DET L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 17:04
Mar 25, 2026 vs BOS L 3-4 (OT) 2 0 2 -1 0 4 0 15:58
Mar 22, 2026 @ ANA L 5-6 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 14:21
Mar 21, 2026 @ LAK W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12:30
Mar 19, 2026 @ SJS W 5-0 0 1 1 1 2 2 0 14:08
Mar 17, 2026 @ VGK W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 14:55
Mar 14, 2026 vs TOR W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 2 16:24
Mar 12, 2026 vs WSH L 1-2 0 0 0 -1 0 3 5 17:07
Mar 10, 2026 vs SJS W 6-3 1 1 2 4 2 1 0 12:56
Mar 8, 2026 vs TBL W 8-7 2 1 3 1 0 6 0 16:42
Mar 7, 2026 vs NSH W 3-2 1 0 1 0 0 5 0 14:42
Mar 5, 2026 @ PIT W 5-1 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 14:11
Mar 3, 2026 vs VGK W 3-2 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 13:36
Feb 28, 2026 @ TBL W 6-2 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 12:05
Feb 27, 2026 @ FLA W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 15:52
Feb 25, 2026 @ NJD W 2-1 0 0 0 0 5 3 1 13:28
Feb 5, 2026 vs PIT L 2-5 1 0 1 -1 0 1 1 18:48
Feb 3, 2026 @ TBL L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17:10
Feb 2, 2026 @ FLA W 5-3 1 0 1 -1 0 2 1 16:00
Jan 31, 2026 vs MTL L 2-4 0 0 0 -1 0 4 2 18:40
Jan 29, 2026 vs LAK W 4-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 17:17
Jan 27, 2026 @ TOR W 7-4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 15:55
Jan 24, 2026 @ NYI W 5-0 2 0 2 2 0 3 0 13:44
Jan 22, 2026 @ MTL W 4-2 1 0 1 1 0 2 1 17:00
Jan 20, 2026 @ NSH W 5-3 0 0 0 -2 2 5 1 17:32
Jan 19, 2026 @ CAR L 1-2 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 14:59
Jan 17, 2026 vs MIN L 4-5 (OT) 0 2 2 1 0 3 2 17:49
Jan 15, 2026 vs MTL W 5-3 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 14:27
Jan 14, 2026 vs PHI W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 17:36
Jan 12, 2026 vs FLA L 3-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 2 16:53
Jan 10, 2026 vs ANA W 5-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 16:39
Jan 8, 2026 @ NYR W 5-2 1 1 2 2 0 3 1 15:00
Jan 6, 2026 vs VAN W 5-3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 14:11
Dec 8, 2025 @ CGY L 4-7 0 2 2 -2 2 2 1 17:05
Dec 5, 2025 @ WPG L 1-4 1 0 1 -1 0 5 0 16:32
Dec 3, 2025 @ PHI L 2-5 1 0 1 -1 0 3 2 18:12
Dec 1, 2025 vs WPG W 5-1 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 13:58
Nov 29, 2025 @ MIN W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 17:34
Nov 28, 2025 vs NJD L 0-5 0 0 0 -3 0 4 0 16:22
Nov 26, 2025 @ PIT L 2-4 1 1 2 1 0 4 0 18:28
Nov 23, 2025 vs CAR W 4-1 0 1 1 1 0 1 2 17:23
Nov 21, 2025 vs CHI W 9-3 1 2 3 3 2 1 2 15:25
Nov 1, 2025 vs WSH W 4-3 (SO) 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 15:07
Oct 30, 2025 @ BOS L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 6 2 15:28
Oct 28, 2025 vs CBJ L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 16:20
Oct 25, 2025 @ TOR L 3-4 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 14:54
Oct 24, 2025 vs TOR W 5-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 12:47
Oct 22, 2025 vs DET W 4-2 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 08:28
Oct 20, 2025 @ MTL L 2-4 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 12:35
Oct 18, 2025 vs FLA W 3-0 0 1 1 0 2 1 0 14:39
Oct 15, 2025 vs OTT W 8-4 2 0 2 0 0 3 3 11:43
Oct 13, 2025 vs COL L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 15:53
Oct 11, 2025 @ BOS L 1-3 1 0 1 -1 0 3 3 19:29
Oct 9, 2025 vs NYR L 0-4 0 0 0 -1 2 5 3 19:23