If the New York Rangers want to be competitive in 2026-27, they need another strong season from Mika Zibanejad. Last season was his best offensive season in the past few years, racking up 34 goals and 44 assists for 78 points. It is the first time he recorded 30-plus goals since the 2022-23 season. It was also a 14-goal increase from the 2024-25 season. This is a sign that he is still an elite goal scorer and can be a guy the Rangers lean on to lead the offensive attack.Â
A strong season from Zibanejad will not just help the Rangers win; it could rewrite their record book. He is only 42 goals behind Chris Kreider for third on the all-time goal list. Now, it’s unlikely he’ll break it this season, with him only scoring over 40 goals once in his career. But a strong season all but guarantees he’ll break it during the 2027-28 season. This will make him a key figure in Rangers history. But how will his legacy be remembered by fans, and is there a chance to change it?  Â
What will Mika Zibanejad's legacy with the Rangers be?Â
How fans will remember Zibanejad when he is done playing with the Rangers has always been a question. Sure, he was the main piece in the Derrick Brassard trade, one of the best moves in Rangers history. He has also been one of the biggest offensive pieces for the past decade. He has been the main shooter on the first line and the power play for years. Over his 1,011 games with the Blueshirts, he racked up 348 goals and 470 assists for 818 points. Â Â Â
But over the past few seasons, there has been a lot of anger directed towards him by fans. He was a no show during the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals against the Panthers. A series in which the Rangers struggled offensively. Earning him the reputation of not being able to handle big series. He has also seen a noticeable drop in point production the last couple of seasons and was seen as one of the key guys who "quit" in 2024-25. Â
At this point, Zibanejad's legacy will be a great regular-season player but someone who came up short in the big moments. Sure being in the top three in goals and the top ten in other offensive categories, but the negatives will always be the first thing that comes to mind. It will always be: if Zibanejad was more productive during that ECF, maybe the Rangers would have stolen a couple of games and reached the Cup Finals. A what-if cloud that will hang over him.
But all Zibanejad needs is one big playoff run to change that perception. If he is able to play as he does in the regular season during the playoffs, and lead the Rangers on a deep playoff run. If he can be the main offensive piece that gets the Rangers back to the Cup Finals, or breaks the 32-year Cup drought, everyone will forget about his previous struggles. He would quickly become one of the greatest Rangers of the 21st century.
Although Zibanejad's name will be all over the record books, it will always be overshadowed by the playoff short comings. He will have one of the most confusing legacies in Rangers history
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