Monday, February 10th, 2020 Jason Zucker was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2020 draft along with Alex Galchenyuk and Calen Addison to the Minnesota Wild.

The Penguins have been after the 28-year-old Jason Zucker since this past summer. The 5’11 Newport beach native has 14 goals and 15 assist this season. He will fit in great with the penguins who preach high-speed skilled hockey with all-stars like Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

The absence of Jason Zucker will be a key loss for the Minnesota Wild. On the flip side, Alex Galchenyuk has only put up 17 points this season. Galchenyuk was drafted 3rd overall in the 2012 NHL draft. Calen Addison will be good for the Wild as it could give them an anchor defenseman after Ryan Suter retires. The first round 2020 draft pick will also help the wild get a solid top-six forward. Jason Zucker signed a $5.5 million per year contract which was effective until 2023. This gives the wild the ability to clear up some cap space and hopefully go after another player this offseason.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got the better end of the trade because they add a top-six forward who has the ability to put up 70 points in a season. Without playing with other highly skilled players. Jason Zucker will thrive in the Penguins organization and could be a key component in the Penguins postseason run. In Zucker’s first 3 games for the Penguins, he has put up 2 goals and 1 assist.

The Wild may have made a mistake in trading for Galchenyuk, as he probably won’t put up a lot of points for the Wild which could be bad in the long run. He could help them in the postseason as the games get more physical he could have an enforcing aspect that could help the wild. Not having a physical player on the ice is what has hurt the wild in past seasons. Galchenyuk has the capabilities of being a top-six forward for the Minnesota Wild but it depends if he will be able to fit into the Wild organization. This looks unlikely as he has put up no points since the trade. If push comes to shove if Galchenyuk is given the option to be a bottom-six forward or to go home and play in Russia in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) he will probably play in the KHL.