Less than 24 hours after being traded from the New York Rangers to the Dallas Stars, Mats Zuccarello suited up to play for his new team. Things got off to a promising start but went sour quickly when the newly acquired forward suffered an upper body injury while blocking a shot.
It's feared that Zuccarello broke his arm while blocking a slap shot from Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy on Sunday in Dallas. The veteran forward will undergo further evaluation, but he's expected to have surgery and miss at least four weeks.
Initial diagnosis calls for surgery on his arm: https://t.co/mwhpYL64JA
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 25, 2019
Stars hopeful the surgery may accelerate recovery time but more will be known and options identified after Zuccarello is fully assessed in DAL on Monday.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 25, 2019
The injury is a big blow for the Stars, who were hoping that Zuccarello could provide an offensive spark for their lineup as they attempt to make a push for the playoffs down the stretch.
The 31-year-old had a goal and an assist early in his debut with Dallas, which might make the unfortunate injury sting that much more for the Stars. Zuccarello has 12 goals and 39 points through 47 games this season.
After going undrafted, Zuccarello spent the first eight and a half years of his career with the New York Rangers until being traded to the Stars on Saturday for a conditional 2019 second-round pick and a conditional 2020 third-round pick.
