Age at Key Position Can Be Detriment to NY Rangers Success

Father Time is catching up to the New York Rangers in one area of the team.

Jan 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan coaches against the Utah Mammoth during the first period at Madison Square Garden. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers underwent a lot of positive changes with their roster during the 2026 NHL offseason.

After finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference this past season, the upgrade in talent should lead to them being more competitive during the 2026-27 season. Playing in the Metropolitan Division will certainly help their cause as well.

Another thing to keep an eye on is health. Last season, star defenseman Adam Fox, centers Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller and goalie Igor Shesterkin all missed time due to injury. That certainly didn’t help the team on the ice being without so many key contributors.

Staying healthy is paramount, but now that players are a year older, it is fair to wonder if veterans such as Miller can turn the clock back, or if they are starting on the downtrend of their career.

Age is major detriment for Rangers centers

Jan 14, 2018; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Rangers left wing J.T. Miller (10) and center Mika Zibanejad (93) talk prior to a face-off against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at PPG PAINTS Arena. The Penguins won 5-2. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Age, in the opinion of an anonymous scout for a Western Conference team, believes the Rangers are in trouble this upcoming season because of how long in the tooth they are up the middle. Their top two projected centers, Mika Zibanejad and Miller, are both 33 years old.

“I still don’t love their centers,” said the scout, via Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required). “They’re old down the middle.”

That scout has predicted that New York won’t make the playoffs this upcoming season, in large part because of their situation up the middle. It is certainly a fair criticism, especially considering that duo likely wouldn’t be a No. 1 center on any contending team in the NHL.

That isn’t to say the Rangers cannot have success with those two atop their center depth chart; it just means that there is a lot less room for error and that other players are going to have to step up.

Rangers are lacking quality depth up the middle

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Noah Laba (42) skates against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Madison Square Garden. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Up the middle is a weakness in the organizational pipeline. Until the team added Cole Beaudoin in the return package from the Mammoth for Trocheck, there wasn’t a single center prospect projected to play NHL minutes this season.

That is a major issue, putting New York one injury away from a catastrophe striking up the middle. Should Zibanejad or Miller be forced to miss time, Beaudoin could be forced into top-six or middle-six minutes with zero NHL experience, along with Noah Laba.

That is a disastrous scenario that could play out. While age was a major factor in the scout’s take on the team’s centers and the prediction not to make the playoffs, their overall depth at the position is troublesome.