"It seems crazy that it's been this long," he said. "But it's always good to be back in this building. Lotta good memories, and just hoping that we can get a win tonight."
And with Zucker having appeared in just one game since the calendar flipped because of a nagging core muscle injury that ultimately required surgery, getting a player of his caliber into the mix will be another trade deadline boost of sorts.
"I think Zuck can be invaluable to our team," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said. "He's just a good player on both sides of the puck. I think he makes us harder to play against. He's a gritty guy, he's good in the battle areas, he's hard at the net front. He's an important player for us. To get him back in the lineup, I think he makes us a better team in so many different ways."
Zucker has missed 30 straight games and 37 of the last 38, so there's definitely going to be an adjustment process when it comes to getting back to the level that he's capable of - but the winger joked that he's crossing his fingers it doesn't take too long.
"Hopefully a shift?" he said with a grin. "I don't know. It's one of those things, especially now that it's playoff hockey and with the way that all these teams that we're gonna play down the stretch are playing right now, too… it's going to be a work in progress, for sure. But I'll be working with the coaches and linemates, whoever I'm playing with, and try to make it as quick as possible."
The Penguins held an optional morning skate, so they didn't do rushes. But at yesterday's practice, Zucker skated on left wing of the second line with Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell, with Radim Zohorna ultimately being the odd man out.
Sullivan credited Zucker, who spent a lot of time with skating and skills development coach Ty Hennes, for his commitment behind the scenes over the past few months to put himself in the best position to succeed upon his return.
"Having said that, it's not easy to simulate the intensity of NHL competition. The only way you get that is by playing," Sullivan said. "So we're excited to get him back in the lineup. We'll see how he goes."
Excited, relieved… Zucker's feeling a multitude of emotions as he looks to move forward from what's been a bit of a tumultuous time on multiple levels since first coming to Pittsburgh.
"It's been a bit of a crazy time. But obviously, everybody's kind of been in that boat together," Zucker said. "So it's more about just trying to manage it and focus on trying to do what you can as an individual to help the team win. … The injuries, for me personally, haven't really helped the situation. But at the same time, that's just part of the game. It's the way it goes. So hopefully, I can get past this and start playing some hockey."
