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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 2015-16. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Colton Sceviour DAL · 23 P in 71 GP Mike Fisher NSH · 23 P in 70 GP Marcus Foligno BUF · 23 P in 75 GP Cal Clutterbuck NYI · 23 P in 77 GP Nail Yakupov EDM · 23 P in 60 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

2015-16 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
71 13 10 23 -4 20 158 83 0.32 8.2 15:35

Contract

$900KCap hitends in 2016, then extended to 2018
$39KCap dollars per point23 points in 71 games
$99KCap dollars per goal above replacement9.1 goals above replacement
$6.3MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
+$5.4MValueworth 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 668 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Minnesota Wild on Jul 15, 2014, as a new contract: 2 years and $1.801M, beginning in 2014-15. It runs through 2015-16, so this is its last season, and his extension takes over. His next contract is already signed: an extension with the Minnesota Wild on Jun 29, 2016, 2 years and $4M at $2M a season, beginning in 2016-17.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2014-15 $900K $851K $0 $851K
2015-16 $900K $950K $0 $950K

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 not begun 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 2015-16 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.

2015-16 analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+9.1Goals above replacement79th of 675 skaters, 57th of 445 forwards
+1.5Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+6.0Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 445 ranked forwards: 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.

Even-strength offence+1.4 69th percentileEven-strength defence+2.7 93rd percentilePower play-0.5 15th percentilePenalty kill+0.1 75th percentilePenalties+2.4 94th percentile

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, and the rank beside it is among forwards. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

-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

48.9Corsi for %814 attempts for, 849 against
+1.5CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
53.9Expected goals for %35.6 expected for, 30.4 against
+4.3xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
49.5Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
47.0Goals for %31 for, 35 against
99.6PDO7.5% shooting + 92.0% saves
236Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 561 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
Mikko Koivu · Jason Zucker · Nino Niederreiter31323:1657.560.913-11
Mikko Koivu · Thomas Vanek · Jason Zucker21117:1846.061.36-4
Mikko Koivu · Jason Zucker · Charlie Coyle1897:5345.556.12-3
Thomas Vanek · Jason Zucker · Mikael Granlund1661:4544.851.91-2

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. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

13Goalsnot counting empty-netters
18.8Expected goalsfrom 233 unblocked attempts
-5.8Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 1.02 expected goals per 60 minutes92nd
Shot quality 8.1% chance per attempt69th
Finishing -5.8 goals above expected5thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 412 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

051015Game 20Game 40Game 60Expected 18.8Goals 13

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 this season, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. Darker red means more attempts from that spot, and each dot is a goal. "Show every shot" switches to a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 9, 2016 vs CGY L 1-2 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 16:44
Apr 5, 2016 vs SJS L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 15:39
Apr 3, 2016 @ WPG L 1-5 0 0 0 -1 2 2 1 12:34
Apr 1, 2016 @ DET L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 2 1 0 10:43
Mar 31, 2016 vs OTT L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13:58
Mar 29, 2016 vs CHI W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 11:24
Mar 22, 2016 vs LAK W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12:37
Mar 20, 2016 @ CHI W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 2 18:04
Mar 19, 2016 vs CAR W 3-2 (SO) 1 0 1 1 0 5 3 17:25
Mar 17, 2016 @ NJD L 4-7 0 0 0 -2 2 2 4 16:44
Mar 10, 2016 vs EDM L 1-2 0 0 0 -1 0 3 1 13:54
Mar 6, 2016 vs STL L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 14:18
Mar 5, 2016 @ BUF W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 16:59
Feb 21, 2016 vs CHI W 6-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 05:26
Feb 18, 2016 @ EDM W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 10:46
Feb 17, 2016 @ CGY W 5-3 1 0 1 0 0 3 2 12:17
Feb 15, 2016 @ VAN W 5-2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 14:32
Feb 13, 2016 vs BOS L 2-4 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 10:01
Feb 11, 2016 vs WSH L 3-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 07:34
Feb 9, 2016 vs DAL L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 08:22
Feb 4, 2016 @ NYR L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13:22
Feb 2, 2016 @ NYI L 3-5 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 11:20
Jan 25, 2016 vs ARI L 1-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 13:14
Jan 23, 2016 @ SJS L 3-4 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 14:51
Jan 21, 2016 @ LAK W 3-0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 13:49
Jan 20, 2016 @ ANA L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 3 14:16
Jan 16, 2016 @ NSH L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 19:48
Jan 15, 2016 vs WPG L 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 15:58
Jan 12, 2016 vs BUF L 2-3 0 0 0 -2 0 3 1 15:02
Jan 10, 2016 vs NJD L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 14:54
Jan 9, 2016 @ DAL W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 16:16
Jan 7, 2016 vs PHI L 3-4 (OT) 1 0 1 1 0 2 1 19:19
Jan 5, 2016 @ CBJ W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 14:52
Jan 3, 2016 @ FLA L 1-2 1 0 1 0 0 3 1 13:54
Jan 2, 2016 @ TBL L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12:07
Dec 31, 2015 @ STL W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 17:02
Dec 28, 2015 vs DET W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 14:29
Dec 26, 2015 vs PIT L 1-3 1 0 1 1 0 3 1 14:37
Dec 22, 2015 vs MTL W 2-1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 13:47
Dec 21, 2015 vs DAL L 3-6 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 15:57
Dec 19, 2015 @ NSH L 2-3 1 0 1 1 0 3 1 16:55
Dec 17, 2015 vs NYR W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 15:29
Dec 15, 2015 vs VAN W 6-2 1 0 1 2 0 4 0 13:45
Dec 12, 2015 @ SJS W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 13:46
Dec 11, 2015 @ ARI L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12:22
Dec 7, 2015 @ COL L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 -2 2 0 1 19:16
Dec 5, 2015 vs COL W 3-0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 16:40
Dec 3, 2015 vs TOR W 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 15:12
Dec 1, 2015 @ CHI W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 15:34
Nov 28, 2015 vs DAL L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -2 0 5 0 18:24
Nov 27, 2015 vs WPG L 1-3 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 19:20
Nov 25, 2015 vs VAN L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 20:41
Nov 21, 2015 vs NSH W 4-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 16:57
Nov 19, 2015 @ BOS L 2-4 1 0 1 0 2 4 4 21:52
Nov 17, 2015 @ PIT L 3-4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 19:06
Nov 14, 2015 @ DAL L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 22:09
Nov 12, 2015 @ CAR W 3-2 (OT) 2 0 2 2 0 5 1 20:27
Nov 10, 2015 vs WPG W 5-3 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 20:22
Nov 7, 2015 vs TBL W 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 19:48
Nov 5, 2015 vs NSH L 2-3 0 1 1 -1 0 5 0 18:49
Oct 31, 2015 @ STL L 2-3 (OT) 1 0 1 0 0 5 1 17:35
Oct 30, 2015 vs CHI W 5-4 1 1 2 0 0 3 1 17:27
Oct 27, 2015 vs EDM W 4-3 0 1 1 2 0 5 0 17:43
Oct 25, 2015 @ WPG L 4-5 1 0 1 0 0 3 3 17:53
Oct 24, 2015 vs ANA W 3-0 0 1 1 2 0 2 0 16:11
Oct 22, 2015 vs CBJ W 3-2 0 1 1 0 0 2 4 15:51
Oct 18, 2015 @ ANA L 1-4 0 0 0 1 0 5 2 19:46
Oct 16, 2015 @ LAK L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 16:55
Oct 15, 2015 @ ARI W 4-3 0 1 1 -1 0 2 3 14:40
Oct 10, 2015 vs STL W 3-2 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 18:40
Oct 8, 2015 @ COL W 5-4 0 1 1 0 2 6 0 17:37