Rangers' Zibanejad Having Terrific Bounce-Back Season

Last season was an awful one for New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad.

For starters, there was a lot of turmoil surrounding his best friend and now former teammate, Chris Kreider. When things were going south early on last season for the Blueshirts, Kreider's name came up as a player that General Manager Chris Drury would be willing to part with, which did not sit well with Zibanejad.

Secondly, the team struggled overall. After being the league's best team in 2023-24, the Rangers missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 season.

Lastly, Zibanejad did not play the way that he is capable of playing. Yes, he had 62 points (20 goals and 42 assists), but he was a -22 and did not play with the same amount of precision, intelligence, and detail in his game that both the team and their fans had become accustomed to.

Fast forward to this season and Zibanejad seems to have turned it around. For starters, he is back to producing at a high level.

As of this writing (Tuesday, March 10), Zibanejad leads the team in goals (27), assists (32), points (59), power play goals (13), shorthanded goals (two), and shots (170). There are several reasons why Zibanejad has regained his offensive form.

For starters, he is back to shooting the puck without hesitation. Last season, Zibanejad passed up a lot of shot opportunities and more often than not, the puck did not end up going in the net.

That has not been the case this season. Zibanejad has not been afraid to shoot the puck and because of it, he should hit the 30-goal mark for the third time in his career.

Another reason why Zibanejad is back to producing at a high level is because he is being smarter with the puck. He has been able to find the seam with great passes, has been able to put the puck into prime scoring areas, and he is not turning over the puck as much as he did last season.

That leads to the last reason why Zibanejad is playing so well this season - confidence. It was clear that his confidence took a big hit last season and it negatively impacted his game.

This season, it is clear that Zibanejad is playing with a lot of confidence. He has not been hesitant with the puck, has been able to put himself into good scoring positions, is producing, and is showing both the team and their fans that he can still be a highly productive player even though he will be turning 33 years old on April 18.

While it has been a terrible season for the Blueshirts overall, it has been a terrific one for Zibanejad. He regained his offensive touch and is showing both the team and their fans why he should be a key part of their franchise as they move into a new era.