Jason Zucker’s offseason wasn’t anything unusual.

He spent the summer mostly at his home in Minnesota. Went on some vacations. Trained at a rate as he typically would.

As far as any offseason speculation that he might no longer be a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins? He had far more important things to ruminate over the past four months.

“I chased my kids around the house for a while,” Zucker quipped.

Entering the campaign, he’ll be chasing more success than he enjoyed throughout last season.

Limited to 38 of a possible 56 games because of injury, Zucker generated only 18 points (nine goals, nine assists).

Such a meager total is simply not a satisfactory level of production for a player with a $5.5 million salary cap hit as well as a resume dotted by a handful of 20-goal seasons.

That’s not just an external assessment. It’s Zucker’s, as well.

“When I first got here, it was good,” Zucker said of his arrival via trade in February of 2020. “I thought I came in and did what I wanted to. Last year was awful, to be honest. I didn’t like my game at all. I thought there were some good points, some really bad points. It was a good summer for me to be able to adjust my game and feel really good coming into this year.”

Said coach Mike Sullivan: “He’s just got to play to his strengths. One of the reasons why we acquired him is because he plays a straight-ahead game. He’s a gritty player, he’ll go to the battle areas, he’s strong on the puck, he’s got good speed and he can shoot the puck. That is the game he needs to play more consistently to be at his best. When he’s shooting the puck and he’s going to the net, I think good things happen for him.”

More shots would be a good thing for Zucker. Last season, he averaged 1.7 shots. In contrast, over the first nine seasons of his 10-year career, he logged 2.3 shots per contest.

“For me, it was a lot of shot total,” Zucker said. “I don’t feel I shot the puck nearly as much as I have in years past. I’d be shocked if it was even 50 percent of my normal total shooting the puck. I don’t know if it was more just trying to pass the puck in general or make plays in general. I’ve never been known to be a playmaker. I’m a shooter and a goal scorer. That was a big thing and definitely something I’m going to focus on this year.”

Like many top-six wingers who have arrived in Pittsburgh via trade or free agency over the past 15 years, Zucker may have deferred too much to the likes of either of the star centers he primarily skated has: Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.

“We have conversations with guys when we play them with either Sid or (Malkin), for example, about making sure they play their game and let Sid and (Malkin) adjust to them versus the other way around. Sometimes, that’s just human nature. We’ve had discussions with (Zucker) about understanding how to play to his strengths and what those strengths are and making sure he plays that speed game, that straight-ahead game, that shoot-first mentality. If he plays with a guy like (Malkin) or if he plays with a guy like Sid, they’ll adjust their games to him. Those guys have that ability to do that. They’re generational talents, and they can figure out how to maximize the combinations that we surround them with.

“I would anticipate (Zucker) is going to have a real good year for us. He’s an important player for us.”

Note: Forward prospect Filip Hallander missed practice for the second consecutive day. Sullivan labeled him as “day to day” because of an undisclosed injury.

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