New York Rangers: A Mika Zibanejad extension needs to happen

Mika Zibanejad is in the final year of his current deal and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next off-season. He will surely be getting a raise from his current Average Annual Value (AAV) of $5.35 million. He has already earned it with how much of an offensive force he has become since joining the New York Rangers.

It is no secret that the Rangers have been linked to Jack Eichel and there’s even a billboard about it. Yet, let’s ignore that for this piece.

At this said juncture, Zibanejad is their number one center. His importance to the team is immensely high, as he is clearly one of their most significant contributors. As we head into this regular season, the Rangers should be working on an extension with him. Between him and fellow soon-to-be free agent Ryan Strome, locking up the former needs to be a bigger priority.

Although Zibanejad notably started this past season on the wrong foot, he was feeling the impact of his previous bout with COVID-19. In his first 27 games this season, he only had three goals, which was quite alarming. However, he ended the year with a monstrous 21 goals in 29 games and looked like his true self. In 56 total games on the year, he had 24 goals, 26 assists and 50 points. That honestly is impressive with how rough it started for him.

Zibanejad also had a marvelous season the year before, as he scored 41 goals and had 75 points in just 57 games. When looking at how well he played during the second half of this season, it is easy to believe that he can once again put up similar totals to this. It also does not hurt that young wingers like Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko should only get better from here .

The Rangers cannot lose Zibanejad next off-season for nothing.

Until an extension is finalized, the possibility of losing Zibanejad for absolutely nothing is still there. If that occurs, that would be brutal for the franchise. He not only is one of their best players, but also is a leader in the locker room. This is evidenced by him being one of the team’s alternate captains. In time, he could even sport the C on his jersey.

With the Rangers continuing to inch closer to becoming a legitimate playoff team, a Zibanejad departure would set them back severely. Although the Rangers have a strong crop of young players, there isn’t a single one who stands out as a potential first-line center. It also does not help that Strome is another player set for unrestricted free agency. Thus, losing Zibanejad will create far too large of a hole in their roster.

There are some big-name centers who could hit the market, but the reality of signing them seems low. Florida Panthers’ captain Aleksander Barkov has an expiring deal, but when looking at the way they are performing, it seems likely that he stays. Veteran Patrice Bergeron will certainly re-sign with the Boston Bruins, as he has spent his entire career there. Sean Couturier is nice in theory, but does anyone really think Philadelphia will let him walk? With all of this, there is no definite replacement who would make losing Zibanejad acceptable.

The Rangers are hoping for a hometown discount.

There have been some crazy contracts signed this summer, but the good news is that many seem to be coming from defensemen. Also, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog took a team-friendly eight-year contract with an AAV of $7 million. Could the Rangers get lucky and sign Zibanejad to a similar contract? Even though it would still be fairly expensive, it would not crush them when it comes to their cap space.

The Rangers have important players who will be expecting significant raises over the next few years. Lafrenière, Kakko and Vitali Kravtsov are all going to get more money when their entry-level contracts expire. This is especially the case if they reach their true potentials as soon as next season. Filip Chytil only has two years left on his current contract, too. Thus, they have to be careful with how much money they end up sending Zibanejad’s way.

If Zibanejad gets locked up on a team friendly deal, it could open a lot of other doors for them. However, figuring out the Zibanejad situation needs to be priority number one at this stage. He is and should continue to be their main center moving forward.

We will see what happens on this front, but it would be a major crisis averted if they lock him up as soon as possible.