There is no out-clause in Mats Zuccarello’s contract that would require the Rangers to allow the 24-year-old winger to leave for Europe if he is still a member of the AHL Whale by a certain date, the Norwegian’s representatives and general manager Glen Sather told The Post late last week.
And though Craig Oster, one of the winger’s agents at Newport Sports, told The Post the subject is likely to be raised with management within the next few weeks if Zuccarello remains in Hartford under his $67,500 AHL contract, Sather doesn’t seem to have much interest in obliging.
“Why would we agree to anything like that?” is how Sather phrased it in an email response to the Post’s inquiry whether the club would set the Hobbit free. “There’s no such agreement.”
Zuccarello started this season with the Rangers before being assigned to the Whale after three games, in which he averaged 8:25 of ice time while operating on the club’s fourth line and second power-play unit.
Coach John Tortorella stated his concerns about the winger’s ability to check and master the game without the puck on the NHL’s smaller ice surface, and dropped Zuccarello from the power play during the Oct. 15 match on the Island. Zuccarello’s presence then became superfluous on a club that uses its fourth line sparingly.
Two weeks ago, when the Rangers recalled Andre Deveaux from the Whale when Wojtek Wolski went down with a sports hernia for which he has since undergone surgery, Tortorella said the Blueshirts passed on Zuccarello despite a recommendation from the Connecticut staff because he could not fit the winger into a top-nine forward slot.
“Mats’ first desire is to play in the NHL with the Rangers, and he understands the situation,” Oster said. “But we did have discussions with Glen and Cam [then-assistant GM Cam Hope] when he signed about how at some point it wouldn’t make sense to have him playing in the AHL and that if that time came, the Rangers would consider other options.”
Sather and the staff, however, see Zuccarello — who had eight points (3-5) in eight games with the Whale prior to yesterday’s match at St. John’s — as a depth asset should a top-nine skill forward go down with an injury, or a promotion is otherwise required.
Zuccarello carries a $1.75 million NHL cap hit. The Rangers currently are $1.112 million under the cap, but could borrow close to $4 million of additional space for as long as Marc Staal remains sidelined by placing the defenseman on long-term injured reserve. Staal is due to be evaluated this week in Boston by concussion specialist Dr. Robert Cantu.
* The Rangers have allowed only 23 even-strength goals in their 9-3-3 getaway. Michael Del Zotto, plus seven, has been on for only five goals-against in 243:55 of even-strength play.
The Blueshirts do not return to the Garden until Nov. 26, an afternoon match against the Flyers.