Rangers silence hints at a deadline Mats Zuccarello trade

WINNIPEG — Mats Zuccarello told The Post he has “not heard any concrete news from my agent,” and his agent at Newport Sports told The Post the Norwegian’s situation is “status quo.”

Translated, this means that, 13 days and eight games away from the Feb. 25 trade deadline, the Blueshirts have not engaged in contract extension talks with the impending free-agent winger and remain on course to flip Zuccarello as a rental property in exchange for a draft pick and/or a prospect.

“Nothing has changed. Everyone knows I want to stay here, but if they trade me, I can’t control that,” Zuccarello said before the Rangers met the Jets here on Tuesday in the first of four straight games on the road. “I’m just trying to have the most fun I can, work as hard as I can and play the best I can to help us win games. That’s what I can control.”

Zuccarello, who first slipped into the Blueshirt on Dec. 23, 2010, for his NHL debut against the Lightning, has played some of the most compelling, productive and best hockey of his career over the last month, recording 17 points (5-12) in his last 11 games while combining with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider to give the Rangers a legit first line. The trio has a 56.7 Corsi, a 57.4 shot share and has been on the ice for 15 goals for and five against (plus-10) in its 12 games intact since Jan. 10.

“I’m in the best shape of my life,” Zuccarello told The Post. “I know I’m 31, but I feel I can contribute to a winning team for a long time. I don’t think I am anywhere near the end of my career. I have a lot to give. I hope it’s here, but if it isn’t, I’ll do my best to help my new team win.”

And isn’t it ironic, like a free ride when you’ve already paid, that as Zuccarello’s play has increased his value as a rental to contenders, he has also re-established his value to the Rangers both on the ice and in the room. The winger’s revival has prompted the Rangers to consider the scenario under which they would trade Zuccarello and then re-sign him as a free agent on July 1.

“I’m not aware of that,” Zuccarello said. “If that’s the situation that develops, I would look at it, but that’s far off. I can say that no one has come to me and said that’s the plan.”

Zuccarello is completing the final year of a four-year contract worth $4.5 million per that he signed under some duress just ahead of the 2015 trade deadline, when he was also an impending free agent and knew that then-general manager Glen Sather had put the word out that he would trade the winger without a contract extension in hand.

It is possible Sather was bluffing — the team was on its way to the Presidents’ Trophy and was a favorite to capture the Cup a year after going to the final — but Zuccarello desperately wanted to remain in New York. Not only did he sign a club-friendly deal that likely came in at around $1M per under what he would have been able to command on the open market, Zuccarello did not receive any no-trade consideration over the life of the contract.

As such, he has zero control as scouts pour in to evaluate him (and Kreider, Kevin Hayes, Kevin Shattenkirk, Adam McQuaid and Vlad Namestnikov) and the day draws nearer that, chances are, he will be told he is no longer a Ranger.

“I try not to think about what might happen. I did that too much before,” Zuccarello said. “When I am told something concrete, that’s when I will deal with it. Until then, I’m going to be myself and do my best like I have always tried to do for this team.”