Key Area Unsurprisingly Seen as a Concern for NY Rangers

Which area of the lineup is seen as a concern for the New York Rangers?

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan speaks to reporters after an 8-1 win against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers have had a busy offseason, and the team is hoping to be much-improved for next year. However, if they are going to be successful, it could be a couple of veterans who will be key for the team. 

Coming off a terrible campaign, the Rangers made a ton of changes to their roster this summer. New York had a desire to get younger and better, and by most accounts were able to accomplish this.

The Rangers had a lot of needs to address with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, and the plethora of moves made reflected that. With some notable additions like Pavel Dorofeyev, Sean Durzi, and Marcus Pettersson, this unit as a whole should be much improved. 

However, while the new talent that is incoming will be key, so too will be some of the key veterans from last year being better as well. 

Harman Dayal of The Athletic (subscription required) recently ranked the top center duos in the league and, unsurprisingly for the Rangers, they didn’t rank well. 

Concerns Up the Middle for New York

Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center J.T. Miller (8) warms up before the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the tiered ranking from Dayal, the combination of Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller ranked in the below-average category. This is certainly not encouraging to see for the Rangers, but the reasoning is sound. 

Even though Zibanejad is coming off a strong campaign, he would certainly be considered a lower-tier first-line center in the league. With a lot of his production coming on the power play, he hasn’t been nearly as effective five-on-five, which is a bit of a concern. 

Furthermore, with Vincent Trocheck being traded, it is going to be Miller having the clear role as a second-line center for the team coming into next season. In his first full season back with the team, the captain of the Rangers did not perform well.  

Last year, he totaled 53 points on 17 goals and 36 assists in 68 games and was a dreadful -30 on the ice. 

The poor ranking is mainly due to the struggles of Miller, who the Rangers will be hoping to see a lot more from this coming year. Due to the depth of the center position for the franchise as a whole being a bit of an issue right now, New York will be relying heavily on their veteran duo to perform.