Breaking down the top five single-season assists leaders in NY Rangers history

The NY Rangers have a long history and several sensational single-season point-scorers since the 1970s. A few of those big-time producers were playmakers who put up 70 or more assists in a season, and today, we’re talking about the top five players in that category. 

Well, actually, we got six on the agenda since there was a three-way tie for Places Four and Five. One player you won’t see listed is legendary forward Jaromir Jagr, who, despite scoring more goals than any other Rangers player in team history in a single season, the highest number of assists he put up were 69 in 2005-06. 

But there’s another NHL legend who did make the cut, and they’re the first of six we’ll talk about in this piece. 

Wayne Gretzky, 1996-97

If you’re completely new to the NHL, Wayne Gretzky is one name you must know, and yes, the greatest player in league history spent time with the Blueshirts. Gretzky may have been in career twilight mode during the 1996-97 season, but some legends just barely slow down, and he was one of them. 

That year, he finished with 72 assists and 27 goals, good for 97 points. The following season, in 1997-98, Gretzky finished with 90 points and 67 assists, before he called it quits following the 1998-99 season after he still logged 53 helpers. 

Mark Messier, 1991-92

Mark Messier is a Hockey Hall of Famer who is another name you’ll want to get familiar with if you’re new to the Rangers. Curiously enough, he and Wayne Gretzky were teammates both in Edmonton and New York, and both were among the better players in the league, even when they were in their late 30s. Actually, Messier had 67 points in his age-40 season, so yeah, you can guess he enjoyed one long, successful career. 

One of those most successful seasons came in 1991-92 when Messier reached 72 assists and passed the 70-assist barrier for the fourth time in his career. Winning the Hart and Pearson Trophies further shows just how much Messier dominated, and he finished the season totaling 107 points. 

Brian Leetch, 1990-91, 1991-92

Two-way defensemen are often known for racking up the assists, and Brian Leetch was an expert at it during his near-two-decade stint with the Rangers - 17 seasons to be exact. He finished his career with the Blueshirts after 1,129 games and 741 assists, with 72 of them coming in 1990-91. 

While those may sound like legendary numbers for a blueliner, an additional 80 helpers came a season later in 1991-92 in a year that saw Leetch finish with a staggering 102 points. Those 80 assists were the highest in team history heading into the 2024-25 season, but the next name on this list could end up threatening that record before his time with the Blueshirts is up. 

Artemi Panarin, 2021-22

With 71 assists in 2023-24, Artemi Panarin just barely missed finding a spot on this list twice, but his 74 helpers in 2021-22 were good enough to take third place all-time in a single season. Panarin’s feat wasn’t enough to put him in Hart Trophy consideration, but he still finished the season with 22 goals and 96 points, foreshadowing at least two more unforgettable campaigns. 

Now the burning question is: Will Panarin reach 70-plus assists again for the third time in an NY Rangers uniform?

Sergei Zubov, 1993-94

Finally, we got Sergei Zubov, who ended the 1993-94 season with 77 helpers. Zubov finished what was his second season in the NHL with 89 points, and it led to a fourth-place finish for the Norris, an award he would regularly finish in the top 15 for throughout his career. 

Zubov, who spent most of his career with the Dallas Stars between 1996-97 and 2008-09, never came close to hitting the 77 assist mark again. Overall, he spent just 165 games with the Blueshirts, but logged 126 helpers in the brief time he was with the team. 

(Statistics powered by Hockey-Reference)