NY Rangers' Mika Zibanejad Being Predicted to Have Strong Season is Encouraging

New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad was recently predicted to have a strong campaign.

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) skates against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers are getting set for the upcoming 2026-27 campaign, and the team is hoping to be much improved compared to last season. With a lot more talent on the roster, there is reason to believe that they can achieve that goal. 

It is no surprise that after coming off a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers wanted to attack the offseason and improve. There was some debate about whether or not they should be rebuilding or retooling. 

There was some uncertainty about how the retool was going to pan out, but Chris Drury seemingly did a really strong job this summer. New York got some talented players to improve this roster, and the hope will be that they can be a playoff contender. 

Furthermore, while adding new players to improve was important, the Rangers also still had some good existing talent on the team. One of those players is center Mika Zibanejad. The veteran forward is coming off a really strong campaign, and New York will be hoping to see him replicate it. 

Pete Jansen of NHL.com recently predicted that Zibanejad would score 79 points, having another really solid campaign. 

Zibanejad Predicted to Shine 

Apr 15, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) shoots the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The strong point prediction for Zibanejad is certainly encouraging to see. Last year, it was a really strong campaign for him, and he was able to lead the team in points with 78 on 34 goals and 44 assists. 

Zibanejad led the Rangers in goals as well, while also being tied for the most assists on the team. It was some impressive production from the 33-year-old, especially on the power play. 

On the man-advantage, he did a lot of damage with 16 goals and 19 assists. The first line was really strong down the stretch, led by Zibanejad with Gabe Perreault and Alexis Lafreniere on the wing. This trio figures to be the line that will, at the very least, start the season together. They built some impressive chemistry and not running this group back would be a surprise.

Furthermore, with the addition of Pavel Dorofeyev, there will be another really good weapon on the power play for the Rangers. 

While there might be some concern about the age of Zibanejad, last year was an encouraging sign that there is still a lot left in the tank. If he is able to put up a 79-point season, the Rangers will be in a good position with that caliber of production up the middle.