It's do or die next season for one Pittsburgh Penguins winger.

Throughout the Sidney Crosby era, the Pittsburgh Penguins have taken pride in having talented top-six wingers to surround their two generational centers. While Crosby is set to run it back with his long time linemates Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel, the second line remains a mystery. Jason Zucker is the only player from the Penguins playoff second line under contract. 

Zucker is heading into the final year of a deal that carries a $5.5 million cap hit. Since coming to the Penguins in 2020, Zucker has had issues staying healthy. He has played in only 79 of the teams' 138 regular season games the past two seasons, including just 41 this past year. 

Even when he has been in the lineup, Zucker has struggled to catch his footing in Pittsburgh. Last season he tallied eight goals and 17 points for the Penguins, the lowest marks he has had since 2013-14 with the Minnesota Wild. 

The one thing that no one has ever questioned about Zucker is his heart. Fighting through an injury throughout the second half of the season, Zucker played noticeably injured throughout the Penguins first round series against the New York Rangers. He wasn't able to sit on the players' bench at points. Instead, he sat on a stool partially down the tunnel towards the locker room. 

Despite playing through injury, Zucker was one of the most aggressive Penguins in that series and caused mayhem on the forecheck. Pressuring the Rangers young defenseman, Zucker led the charge forcing turnovers in the offensive zone and creating opportunities for Evgeni Malkin and Kasperi Kapanen on multiple occasions. Even though his presence was felt on the ice, it didn't end up on the score sheet. Zucker finished the playoffs with no goals and two assists. 

The Penguins are not in a position to trade Zucker, as his value is at a low point due to injuries and his cap number. With Zucker expected to return, it could be his last chance to make something happen in Pittsburgh.

Zucker finished the year with eight goals but showed promising improvements in his willingness to shoot the puck. After a season in which Zucker was much maligned for passing up scoring opportunities too often in 2020-21, his shots per game increased substantially from 1.76 to 2.49. Unfortunately, Zucker paired that with the lowest shooting percentage of his career (7.8%). He has shown off his goal-scoring ability before in Pittsburgh but needs to find ways to get shots on net from high danger areas like he did when he was first acquired by the Penguins.

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Even though his numbers have dipped in recent years, Zucker has a solid track record as a scoring threat in the NHL. He has eclipsed the 20-goal mark five times in his career, the most recent being in 2019-20 when he split the year between Minnesota and Pittsburgh. 

Zucker needs a bounce-back season with one year left on his current contract. Preferably one where he stays off the injury report and gets onto the scoresheet more often. 

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