Does the New York Rangers 2025-2026 MVP Have a Place in Their Retool?
After a long season of frustration, the New York Rangers' season has ended, and they now head into an offseason that could determine whether they are truly serious about this retool. Since January, the Blueshirts have taken the beginning steps of their retool, bidding farewell to players like Artemi Panarin and Carson Soucy. While fans continue to feel uneasy about Chris Drury's plan moving forward, there's significant potential in this offseason that could put this retooling in the right direction. The Rangers enter this offseason with quite a few free agents, both restricted and unrestricted, and it's very hard to imagine a few of those players returning. When it comes to doing what's best for such an uncertain future, players like Vincent Trocheck and Braden Schneider could very well be moved. A sad time seeing almost every member of the old core depart, but there's one New York veteran that could still be of critical importance moving forward.
If there ever was a Ranger that bounced back after such a disappointing season, Mika Zibanejad would be at the very top of that list. Before heading into this season, the 33-year-old was coming out of a season with just 20 goals and 42 assists, totaling 62 points and a plus-minus of -22. While several key Rangers had themselves a down year as well, stats like that for a former 40-goal scorer were just inexcusable. Being such a key part of the Rangers' top-six forward group over the last few seasons, the decline of a player like him is the last thing Rangers fans want in a regression like this. While still four seasons left in his eight-year contract he signed in 2021, Zibanejad was in big need of a bounce back. Fortunately, the 2011 sixth overall pick did exactly that.
Though his bounce back was looking very unlikely to these New York fans, especially without his longtime teammate Chris Kreider, Zibanejad came into the 25-26 season with his shooting mentality back to where it belonged. Through all the changes over the course of the season, Mika proved time and time again that the Rangers' star center was still in there. It wasn't until much later in the season that Zibanejad was put on a line with the younglings Alexis Lafreniere and Gabe Perreault, a line that would be quite effective from then until the end of their season. Finishing the season leading the Rangers in goals with 34, as well as 44 assists, it rewarded the Sweden native with the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, as well as team MVP. A good sign for those New York doubters, showing their center can still be a true threat on the ice, no matter the ups and downs of the Blueshirts. With his chance of returning on the ice at MSG looking very much likely, how does the six-foot-two forward fit in the Rangers retool?
When it comes to a player who's been through the ups and downs, the question is always whether they're happy with where they are now. After 10 years with the Blueshirts, Zibanejad probably has more cause than most to admit he's not happy anymore as a New York Ranger. Fortunately for fans, he seems to be happy where he is right now. During his time speaking with the media last Friday, DJ Mika made it clear this is where he wants to be, optimistic that not much needs to be done to turn this team around. However, it's not just his abilities that may be needed for the coming retool, but the chemistry he could build with this team's young talent.
With how big a fan he is when it comes to the youngsters getting called up, his presence may be important for New York rookies like Noah Laba, Jaroslav Chmelar, and Adam Sykora. Fans would do well to think it was no coincidence that Gabe Perreault's sudden surge late in the season on the line with Zibanejad, which included his first career hat trick against the Detroit Red Wings on April 4th. With so much young potential emerging for the Blueshirts, perhaps the younglings not on the line with New York's top-five pick from the 2026 NHL Draft would build some great chemistry skating alongside the alternate captain. As number 93 remains motivated to both build on his bounce-back season and return this Rangers team to contention, is his role looking important in the seasons to come?
