2025 Rangers Season Previews: Mika Zibanejad

Now the longest tenured player on the New York Rangers, Mika Zibanejad has been both frustrating and entertaining to watch during his time on Broadway. The cerebral yet streaky scorer can take over games and score in bunches, as shown by the aptly fan-named Mika March. However, at the same time, Zibanejad experiences long streaks of ineffective hockey and apprehensive decision-making.

Whether he plays center or wing for the Rangers, and if his listed position still even matters, remains to be seen. But for a skater whose last season was essentially a tale of two players, and given that he has total control over his time in New York with a full no-movement clause, the Rangers need him to find his form again and become a consistent, effective player if they want a deep postseason run.

Previous Performance

There has not been a more inconsistent player in recent Rangers history, even when focusing on just last year. Zibanejad’s first half of the season was unbelievably underwhelming for the Rangers' de facto number one center. In the season’s first 50 games, Zibanejad scored nine goals and 29 points, marking what could be his worst season as a Ranger yet. When Chris Drury traded for J.T. Miller, an extra gear clicked for Zibanejad, and he scored 11 goals and 33 points in 32 games, aligning more with the pace Zibanejad has historically produced for the Rangers.

To give him credit he's due, he started to turn his season around before Miller showed up. At the turn of the year, his play improved, and he was activating on the power play while not missing as many defensive assignments. It was clear he needed to get out of his own way, but the chemistry he quickly developed with Miller is undeniable.

Disregarding point production, Zibanejad’s other statistics took a dip in the 2024-25 season. But unless your name is Will Cuylle, essentially every roster player will have that in common. Both his overall shot attempts and shots on goal decreased drastically; more importantly, his scoring percentage also took a hit, dropping from 11.8 percent to 10.9 percent. A couple of other small indicators of Zibanejad’s disappointing season are present in his career-worst 83 giveaways and a team-worst -22. Plus/minus is not a serious stat—I’ve said that before, and I’ll say it again—but the writing was on the wall with how poorly Zibanejad played during the year.

Despite these underachievements, it wasn’t all bad. He maintained a positive faceoff winning percentage with 52 percent and, believe it or not, his possession metrics still trended positively for the most part. However, his 5v5 Corsi fell below 50 percent for the first time in several years.

Expectations

Let me be clear: For the Rangers to be considered an elite team, they absolutely need Zibanejad to return to his 80+ point-per-season form. There is no room for flexibility there, just as there is no flexibility for Drury to move his contract like he did with other veteran Rangers players who started underperforming. Whether he's on Miller’s wing or centering his own line, Zibanejad will be expected to score at least 30 goals and tally a minimum of 80 points. He also needs to be an effective power play tool for the team, while playing the role of shutdown center when required. Whether on the penalty kill, power play, or in critical moments, Zibanejad is tasked with both scoring and defending, and he is expected to excel in both roles.

Predictions

I think Zibanejad will be glued to Miller for much of the season. Because of this, I anticipate him to come close to a career year offensively. Mike Sullivan has spoken frequently about Zibanejad’s ability to read and play the game and is actively looking to coach him in a way that brings about his best performance.

There may be some stumbling in the beginning part of the year as the team acclimates to the new system. But once he gets going, there will be no stopping Zibanejad and, like it or not, J.T. Miller will insist on pushing him along. I estimate Zibanejad will score 41 goals and 89 points.

Conclusion

This year offers a great opportunity for Mika Zibanejad. It’ll be a fresh start for almost everyone with a new coach and system in place, especially a coach specifically sought after by Chris Drury who has been near-universally praised and has seen success elsewhere. Free from all the distractions and attention that plagued the 2024-25 season, there are no longer any off-ice excuses for the team to blame; it is now purely about performance and results on the ice.

Zibanejad’s reputation as a Ranger hinges on this upcoming season. Once in New York, he performed well and genuinely earned the big contract awarded him with trade protection. However, when it mattered most, he failed to lead the team and underachieved.

With five more seasons on his contract in New York, Zibanejad is likely to finish his career as a Ranger. How he is remembered depends on him.