Appreciate what Mika Zibanejad has been to the Rangers
Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers skates during the third period against the Seattle Kraken at Madison Square Garden on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026 in New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac
ANAHEIM, Calif.
Mika Zibanejad recorded his second hat trick of the season — and second in the month of January — on Saturday as the Rangers ended their five-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory over the Flyers in Philadelphia. But after what happened on Friday, when general manager Chris Drury announced on social media that the Rangers would be undergoing a “retool,’’ Zibanejad isn’t the story right now.
No, at the moment, everyone is focused on who might be leaving before the March 6 trade deadline. No one has time to appreciate the fact that Zibanejad has scored nine goals in his past seven games and put together an eight-game point streak in which he has those nine goals and eight assists.
His hat trick Saturday was the 10th in his NHL career and ninth as a Ranger, which ties him with Bill Cook for the most in Rangers history. And one of his goals was his 117th on the power play as a Ranger, which makes him the franchise’s all-time leader, breaking a tie with his pal Chris Kreider and Camille Henry.
Achievements like that might have people wondering if his No. 93 jersey should be retired after he’s done playing. But right now, some are wondering if the Rangers will attempt to convince him to waive the no-move clause in his contract and then try to trade him away.
Zibanejad is one of two players on the roster who were around for the original February 2018 “Letter,’’ which famously announced to the fans that the organization was going to do a full rebuild. J.T. Miller is the other, and he was traded away at the deadline that year as part of the rebuild before being reacquired from Vancouver last January.
Sunday at Honda Center, where they’ll face the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, Zibanejad said after the original Letter, he wanted to stay around, and he was happy he did.
“I obviously wanted to be a part of that [rebuild], and building forward. So, luckily, I was,’’ he said. “It was obviously a different situation then.’’
He was a 24-year-old then and had been identified as one of the players around whom the Rangers would rebuild. Now he’s a 32-year-old with a no-move contract that a rebuilding team might want to trade away for assets to use in the future.
In Drury’s message Friday, he was adamant that this will be a “retool’’ rather than a “rebuild,’’ the implication being that this won’t be a full teardown, as in 2018, but a quick refresh, one Drury said will be “built around our core players and prospects.’’
At Zibanejad’s age, does he want to stick around for another renovation project, or would he be OK waiving his no-move rights and going to a team that has a chance to win a Stanley Cup this spring?
“I haven’t thought about that, honestly,’’ he said. “We talked about a ‘retool’ and not a ‘rebuild,’ so I’m now committed to be here. The situation is what it is right now, and you evaluate at the time. I don’t think anyone thought about doing this four months ago, five months ago . . . So I can’t say for sure what’s going to happen in the future, but for now, I don’t have anything else on my mind [other than] to be here right now and try to help this team go forward somehow.
“But . . . if I can help somehow, you reevaluate the situation as you go,’’ he said. “That’s what I have to say for now, at least.’’
After struggling through a difficult 2024-25, Zibanejad leads the Rangers in goals with 21 and has been their most consistent player all season long.
“I think mentally, I’ve been . . . in a better situation. And obviously, when pucks go in, it’s easier to have, I guess, a better, more positive [outlook],’’ he said. “I just feel like what happened last year was last year, and I’ve been able to learn from it and grow.’’
Zibanejad has never seemed to be the fan favorite that teammates such as Kreider and Mats Zuccarello were. Maybe if he sticks around long enough and piles up a few more franchise records, he’ll be appreciated after he’s gone — whenever that is.
Coach Mike Sullivan appreciates him now. “What I’ve grown to appreciate about Mika is, when you’re with somebody every day, I think you gain more of an appreciation of the detail around their game,’’ he said.
“I knew Mika was a solid two-way player . . . but what I’ve really grown to appreciate about Mika is just his complete game. He’s got a mature game. He plays on both sides of the puck. There’s an honesty to his game, just as far as playing defense and valuing playing defense. And I think that’s the first step of being a complete player.’’
Notes & quotes: The Rangers sent D Connor Mackey to AHL Hartford after Saturday’s game and Sullivan said Carson Soucy, who missed the game because of personal reasons, will rejoin the team for Monday’s game . . . The Rangers recalled forward Anton Blidh from Hartford.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
