The New York Rangers did not have a great 2025-26 season, and it showed how vulnerable this franchise really is. It certainly feels like that Presidents' Trophy run from a few seasons ago was a lifetime ago, even though we are just two seasons removed from it.
However, there was one bright spot, and it came from a player that the Rangers faithful love to use as a punching bag. Mika Zibanejad was consistent, and by consensus, the best player on this team in 2025-26.
Let's a deeper look at his performance and grade him for his efforts.
Expectations
This was going to be a weird season for Zibanejad, as it was the first one in a long time that he went into the season without his best friend and Rangers veteran Chris Kreider. This meant that Zibanejad had to try and grow with two other linemates, and try and find a new gear out of his comfort zone.
The 2024-25 season was a really bad one for No. 93. He had 62 points, which was the lowest point total since his second full season with the Rangers back in 2017-18. The expectation for the 2025-26 season was that he was going to get back to form, and for the most part, it was.
Performance
Zibanejad's turn around started after the J.T. Miller trade before the end of the 2024-25 season, and the good vibes continued into this season. With 34 goals and 44 assists for 78 points in 81 games, he nearly notched a point-per-game. That is certainly was a promising sign of being back to form. Zibanejad also looked sensational for Team Sweden at the Olympics, and almost played a role in upsetting Team USA.
The Rangers' veteran also established a couple records this season as well, as he became the franchise's all-time leader in powerplay goals, and he now has 124 in his career as a Blueshirt. He also moved up the charts to become the fourth-most prolific goal scorer in team history, and has the seventh-most points in team history. Zibanejad scored 16 powerplay goals last season, which is the second-highest of his career (20), and was sixth-most in all of the NHL.
Grade: A-
It was a very good season for Zibanejad, and it was a complete one. He tried to keep this Rangers team afloat for much of the season, and then you really saw his joy and enthusiasm when he played with the Swedish Olympic team.
This season would have been an "A" grade for him, had he been able to will this team to a playoff berth. But, after President and General Manager Chris Drury waved the white flag with the Letter 2.0 and trading of Artemi Panarin, there was not much more for Zibanejad to do.
Where do they go from here?
For the 2026-27 season, Zibanejad enters a unique situation. The Rangers are going to start relying on their youth like Gabe Perreault, a potential lottery pick, and waiver claim Tye Kartye to try and spark the offense. The situation with Vincent Trocheck could get messy this summer, and they will need a steady presence.
That leaves Zibanejad, at 33-years-old, trying to carry this team to whatever success he can achieve. The hope is that this retool only lasts for one season, but if it goes longer than that, his chances at acquiring a Stanley Cup start to look very thin.
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