How has Jason Zucker been there for Nashville Predators during NHL playoffs? Start with hat

Five words, sewn in white lowercase letters across the front of the black baseball cap Nashville Predators forward Jason Zucker wore Thursday, said a lot.

"hey, i'm here for you"

Zucker said he had one of his older brothers buy a few for him at Bridgestone Arena during a 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins on April 2, which is World Autism Awareness Day and was his 11th game with the Predators. An Instagram post by the Predators about the hat that day garnered approval from Filip Forsberg's pal, Justin Bieber.

"Just because I thought it was a great initiative," he said Thursday, a day before the Predators once again will try to stave off NHL playoffs elimination when they face the Vancouver Canucks in Game 6 Friday (TNT, 6 p.m.) at Bridgestone Arena. "I wanted to help support the cause."

Those five words — "Hey, I'm here for you" — also could serve as an meticulous memorandum from Zucker to his teammates, many of whom he played with for the first time in February after he was acquired from the soon-to-be Salt Lake City professional hockey team during the trade deadline.

Zucker scored five goals and added two assists in 18 regular-season games after that. But the heavily tattooed 32-year-old from Newport Beach, California, wasn't brought here to play regular-season hockey.

General manager Barry Trotz had the NHL playoffs in mind when he acquired Zucker, who had 51 postseason games to his name before this season, for a sixth-round pick in this year's NHL Draft.

He acquired Zucker to score points and tick people off.

Mission accomplished.

Like the time he fought former Predators forward Nick Cousins.

"It's a part of my game ... and it's part of the playoffs," Zucker said. "It's a piece of my game I typically have at different times. ... In the playoffs it's heightened."

Jason Zucker's trash talking: 'You're too slow'

Zucker prefers not to talk much off the ice about all the talking he does on the ice.

He feigned coyness when confronted with a chirp he directed at Canucks' defenseman Filip Hronek 5 minutes, 49 seconds into the second period of what turned out to be a Game 4 the Predators would just as soon forget.

"You're too slow."

Hronek had just been called for a holding penalty against Zucker, who had been pushing the puck toward the Canucks net.

"I don't remember that," he said with a grin.

When reminded of who his words were aimed at, he repeated himself.

"I don't remember that"

Sure he doesn't.

"On the ice, comes a little bit more naturally," he said of his ability to irk people. "Off the ice it's not quite that level.

Any exchanges he's particularly enjoyed this postseason?

"Nothing that I'll repeat," he said.

Andrew Brunette: 'He's capable of fitting in anywhere'

Zucker has a goal and two assists in five postseason games this year.

One stat that isn't tracked, though, is agitation.

Zucker skills in that are off the charts.

"He's played different roles in his career," Predators coach Andrew Brunette said. "I think he's capable of fitting in anywhere.

"Maybe a little bit different role than he's used to, but I think he's played his role really well."

Brunette played against Zucker. He's coached Zucker.

He's complimentary of Zucker's speed.

He had not much input on Zucker's addition to his roster.

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"I usually stay out of it," Brunette said. "Managers manage. Coaches coach."

There does exist an open line of communication, though.

Which Brunette used.

"You give your opinion and what you think of them, but they kind of make the decisions," Brunette said. "I think he's lived up to my feelings of what I thought he would bring to the team in this role."

'He probably gets under peoples' skin'

The reasons are simple and noticeable.

Watch any post-whistle scrum, Zucker likely is right in the middle of it.

Watch any play, and Zucker is there for it.

Will he return next season, when he's an unrestricted free agent?

"I would love it," he said. "It's the least of my worries at the moment."

For now, he'll concentrate on the task at hand: Being the depth player for whom Trotz traded.

With an edge.

"He's emotional," Brunette said. "Sometimes that gets the best of him.

"When he keeps it between the lines I think it's very effective, but I don't think he goes out of his way (to be that way). He probably gets under peoples' skin at times, which is good."

In other words, he's been there for the Predators.

Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina. Follow his work here.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How has Jason Zucker been there for Predators during NHL playoffs?