Mika Zibanejad Called Out By Ex-Teammate After Rangers Collapse
The New York Rangers’ 2024-25 season ended in disaster, and veteran center Mika Zibanejad is now at the center of intense scrutiny.
After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2021 and parting ways with head coach Peter Laviolette, the organization appears headed for a major offseason shakeup — and Zibanejad’s name is now surfacing in serious trade conversations.
Zibanejad, 32, finished with just 62 points, his lowest full-season total since 2018. He struggled to produce consistently despite being a top-line center and power play fixture. On locker clean-out day, he cited the departures of leaders like Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba as factors in the team’s disappointing performance — a sentiment that drew sharp pushback from one former Ranger.
🎙️A near hour-long therapy session on Up in the Blue Seats🚨@NYP_Brooksie, @BriBrows22 and I try to put this whole #NYR season into words. We just kept going and going.
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) April 22, 2025
YouTube: https://t.co/V20RCO9BHu
Spotify: https://t.co/YJal506tWO
Apple: https://t.co/ct0Op7N61e pic.twitter.com/6vDuRTdSW3
Speaking on the New York Post’s “Up In the Blue Seats” podcast, ex-Rangers forward Brian Boyle called out Zibanejad directly:
“Your job is to play center ice and score goals, and be a power play guy. And you’re a leader, and you wear a letter on this team.”
Boyle didn’t stop there. He questioned the idea that players like Zibanejad should be focused on front-office decisions or cap situations:
“You want to give me more stuff? What we’re gonna [do] in the salary cap next year? Or how are we going to trade this guy or bring this guy up? That’s not your job.”
The frustration wasn't limited to Boyle. Longtime Rangers reporter Larry Brooks also criticized the team, saying:
“It was the least enjoyable team that I ever covered. This team just turtled, went into the fetal position, immediately when any adversity struck.”
Via his Instagram story, #NYR Mika Zibanejad announces he will play for Sweden at the World Championship in Stockholm this summer.
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) April 24, 2025
Zibanejad still has seven years left on his contract, along with a no-move clause, making any trade difficult. But with the Rangers expected to be aggressive this summer, and Zibanejad’s performance and leadership being openly questioned, it’s no longer unthinkable.
Even Jacob Trouba, once considered immovable, was traded. A similar path for Zibanejad may require attaching a top prospect or pick — a price GM Chris Drury could be willing to pay to reset the culture.
For the first time in years, Mika Zibanejad’s future in New York is anything but certain.
Photo Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
