Mika Zibanejad went from being considered tradeable to becoming the Rangers’ best and most consistent forward. He led the team in goals, assists, points, power-play goals, power-play assists, power-play points, shorthanded goals, and shots on goal, with 215 shots far ahead of the next Ranger. His offense ran through him at both 5v5 and on the power play, creating scoring chances in multiple ways. Concerns from the prior season centered on whether his production was repeatable and whether defensive-zone struggles were individual or team-related. Under Mike Sullivan, his role shifted toward an offense-first deployment, often starting shifts after whistles in the offensive zone. A new top line with Alexis Lafreniere and Gabe Perreault generated strong late-season production and renewed hope.
"Zibanejad led the team in goals (34), assists (44, tied with Adam Fox), points (74), powerplay goals (16), powerplay assists (19), powerplay points (35), shorthanded goals (2), and shots on goal (215). His 215 shots on goal led the next Ranger (Alexis Lafreniere - 164) by over 50 shots. The offense ran through Zibanejad, and he delivered."
"The only real concerns with Zibanejad's performance last season are whether it's repeatable and whether his struggles to get out of the defensive zone were on him or on the team as a whole. What's interesting about this season is how Mika Zibanejad's role changed under Mike Sullivan. Under Peter Laviolette, Gerard Gallant, and David Quinn, Zibanejad was deployed primarily against top competition."
"That didn't happen this season, as Sully flipped Zibanejad to a more offense role, starting most of his shifts after a whistle in the offensive zone. The 2025-2025 season was Zibanejad's highest offensive faceoff start percentage (58%) since 2015-2016 with Ottawa. The new top line of Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere, and Gabe Perreault breathed new life into the Rangers and into fans."
"It's still unknown if that trio can be a true top scoring line, but all three produced nearly a point per game to close out the season. If all three s"
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