It’s only been four games and things have gone well. Like, extremely well. That being said, the Rangers need more out of Mika Zibanejad.
The Rangers’ number one centre by all intents and purposes, Zibanejad left a sour taste in the mouths of the fanbase after a lackluster 2023-24 NHL regular season and postseason. Zibanejad finished with 2 goals and 9 points in his final 10 games, and his 72 points on the regular season marked the fifth time he reached the 70-point plateau as a Ranger. While the stat sheet is respectable, the eye test told a different story.
There were many times in the regular season where Zibanejad looked…unengaged? Disinterested? He appeared hesitant to shoot the puck and deferred to his teammates way too often. In truth, Zibanejad did not look like the 41-goal scorer from 2019-20 or the 39-goal scorer from 2022-23.
They Rangers Needed More out of Zibanejad in the Playoffs
It would be unfair to pin the Rangers’ postseason disappointment on Zibanejad alone, but one has to wonder what could have been. The Rangers number one centre was goalless after Game 1 of the Second Round against the Carolina Hurricanes; in 16 games, Zibanejad found the back of the net three times.
That’s it. The other time the Rangers went to the Eastern Conference Finals, Zibanejad had scored 10 times in 20 games.
Now, it’s important to note Zibanejad’s assignments. Martin Necas and Sebastian Aho are top-flight players, and what else needs to be said about the greatness of Aleksander Barkov? Zibanejad’s two-way game is as strong as anyone’s, but it seemed his line took a more passive role as the playoffs dragged on. They seemed so focus on preventing goals from entering their net that they forgot they needed to chip in on the scoring once and a while.
They Need More out of Zibanejad Now
The start of the 2024-25 regular season has not been kind to Zibanejad. While the team has averaged five goals per game through the first four games, Zibanejad’s contributions have been lacking. While his stat line of one goal and three points is adequate enough to the eye in the first four games, all three of those points came in their game against the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 14, with the goal a measly empty-netter.
In the three other games, the only time Zibanejad was noticeable was when something went wrong. In the second game of the season against the Utah Hockey Club, Zibanejad was a -4 in a game where the Rangers put up 5 goals; his uninspired play in overtime certainly cost them the extra point.
THE UTAH HOCKEY CLUB REMAINS UNBEATEN! ?
Clayton Keller caps a high-scoring affair with the @SUBWAYCanada OT winner. pic.twitter.com/gXt2IECPSr
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 13, 2024
The beauty about this start for the Rangers is it buys Zibanejad time to get going. While he still tries to find his game, the Rangers can rest easy knowing Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Alexis Lafreniere appear as dangerous as ever together. The third line of Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, and Will Cuylle have been strong. Chris Kreider has three goals.
Righting the Ship
But the fact of the matter is this: last year’s Zibanejad will be unacceptable for next year. Chris Drury laid down the law this offseason. The onus was put on this aging core to figure it out before changes are made. If the current core can’t get it done, the responsibility will start to shift to the likes of Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller, Braden Schneider, and others.
Are 40 goals possible? Well, yeah, they’re possible, but highly improbable. And that’s fine. A 30-goal season would be a much-needed boon to the Rangers’ offensive capabilities. He has to play a more active role in the Rangers’ 5v5 offensive attack.
Last season, Zibanejad scored only 14 of his 26 goals at even strength. That’s the lowest total in his Rangers career since the 13 even strength goals scored during the 2017-18 season. Of his 72 points last season, 41 came at even strength, which is 11 less from his 92-point campaign the year before. Zibanejad saw lower totals across the board.
The Rangers need to move away from the power play merchant label. They need to be better at even strength. So far, they have succeeded in that endeavor. But Zibanejad can’t be relying on the power play to do most of his scoring. Sure, he was never the kind of player to light it up at even strength, but he needs to regain that balance between 5v5 and power play production.
It’s why he was paid all that money with that 8-year, $68 million contract extension back in 2021. Decline in play was expected within the duration of that contract; no one expected it to come so soon.
The Rangers are hoping this is just a beleaguered star trying to find his game again. They hope his is not an albatross contract.
Main Photo: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
