Per Arthur Staple, the Rangers and Mika Zibanejad may part ways this summer. Zibanejad will control his own destiny with a full no-move clause, though it appears he may be little more willing to waive his clause than initially thought. Nothing is concrete, and the initial report simply states the two parties “may have worked things out.” Though this is the first time we’ve heard it being reported.
Mika Zibanejad, currently the longest tenured Ranger now that Chris Kreider has been traded, has a bit more value than some may think. Even in a down year, he put up 20 goals and 62 points and is also fresh off a point-per-game playoffs from 2024 and 2022. Zibanejad has also shown an ability to play wing as well, increasing his versatility for teams that may see him as a center now but maybe not as his contract progresses.
Trading Mika Zibanejad either creates a hole at center, a position of need, or opens up another winger spot, depending on how you view his current position. If the Rangers move forward with trading Zibanejad, then they will need to place roughly 60 goals next season. If the full contract is moved, that’s another $8.5 million in cap space freed up to do just that.
