Mika Zibanejad’s ice time is dropping, raising questions about his future with the Rangers amid team struggles and trade rumors
New York: So, it looks like Mika Zibanejad’s time with the Rangers is getting a bit shaky. The other night against the St. Louis Blues, he only played 13 minutes, which is his lowest in over four years. That’s pretty wild, right?
Now, he’s got six goals and 15 assists this season, which isn’t terrible, but he just doesn’t seem to be playing like his usual self. He looks a bit slower out there, and fans are starting to notice.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman brought up an interesting point. He thinks the Rangers might be trying to shake things up by cutting Zibanejad’s minutes. He mentioned that it could be a way to make him uncomfortable and see if that sparks something in his game.
Friedman said, “Is this a one-off or is this real?” It’s a good question. The Rangers have been struggling lately, losing 10 out of their last 13 games. So, it makes sense they might want to try something different.
There’s also chatter about general manager Chris Drury looking to make some big moves. They’ve already traded Jacob Trouba, and other players like Chris Kreider and Kaapo Kakko are in the rumor mill too.
Even though Zibanejad has a no-move clause, his role is definitely something to keep an eye on. It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out.