There were quite a few non-NHL players that managed to make a name for themselves at the Olympics this past February, including Norway's Mats Zuccarello-Aasen. On Wednesday, the speedy 22-year-old forward agreed to terms with the New York Rangers after spending the last two years playing for Modo of the Swedish Elite League (35 goals, 69 assists in 90 games).Assuming he makes the NHL roster, it's an interesting signing for a Rangers team that could use a boost offensively (16th in the NHL in goals-per-game this season), while not having a lot of wiggle room under the salary cap.
Here's what general manager Glen Sather had to say about the signing, via the team's website: "Mats is a highly skilled player with excellent hockey sense. He has produced at every level he has played, and we think his offensive abilities, both as a scorer and play maker, make him a valuable asset to the organization."
Obviously, there's a sizable gap in talent -- and competition -- between the Swedish Elite League, or any of the professional leagues in Europe, and the NHL, and signings like this have had some mixed results over the past couple of seasons. Players like Fabian Brunnstrom (Dallas) and Ville Leino (Detroit) came with much fanfare, but haven't always lived up to the expectations or the hype. Brunnstrom, for example, recorded a hat trick in his first NHL game with the Dallas Stars two years ago, but has scored just 16 goals in the following 98 contests. Leino eventually lost out on a numbers game in Detroit and was traded to Philadelphia, where he's made a surprising impact in the postseason. Goaltender Jonas Gustavsson was a pretty big deal around this time last year, signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs and leading the team with 42 starts in goal, posting a .902 save percentage in the process.
In case you're wondering about the legacy of Norwegian players in the NHL, there's been five: Bjorn Skaare, Anders Myrvoid, Espen Knutsen, Patrick Thoresen and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. Tollefsen was the only one in the NHL this past season.
Here's a quick look at what Zuccarello-Aasen was capable of in Europe...
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