NY Rangers' Star Reaffirms Commitment to Franchise Despite Struggles

A star for the New York Rangers recently reaffirmed his desire to be with the team.

Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) talks to left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov (44) during the second period against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

With the season coming to a close for the New York Rangers, the team will undoubtedly look different next year. However, one of their key players reaffirmed his desire to be with the team. 

It was one of the worst seasons in recent memory for the Rangers and one that they will be trying to quickly get out of their minds. New York finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference and will have the third-highest odds in the NHL Draft Lottery for the first overall pick. 

Depending on where the Rangers end up drafting with their first pick, they could be getting a franchise-altering player. However, they know for sure that they will be drafting in the Top 5 regardless. 

Furthermore, they also have a lot of cap space to go along with their two first-round picks. This combination will present them with a good opportunity to be able to retool on the fly, and there is reason to believe New York will be better next year. 

While there is a good amount of young talent on the team, they still have some key veterans as well. One of those players is Mika Zibanejad, who has been a key member of the team for many years now. Even though the team might be in a bit of a transitional period, he is looking to stay, and he is optimistic that things are going to be better quickly. 

Mika Looking To Stay

More from Mika, who was very firm on his commitment to #NYR:

“I’ve been here for 10 years. I’ve gone through the ups and downs. For me, yeah retool or whatever, but you just look around the league and see how fast it can go. … I’m optimistic, especially with the young guys… https://t.co/l1wqkyWjBM

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) April 17, 2026

While it might have been a disappointing season for the team, Zibanejad ended up having a great campaign. He totaled 78 points with 34 goals and 44 assists in 81 games played. Furthermore, he was a real threat to the team on the power play, totaling 16 power play goals and 19 power play assists. 

As the season progressed and the focus became getting some young players more opportunities, he was joined on the first line with Alexis Lafreniere and Gabe Perreault. This trio looked good together and has certainly created some optimism based on how they performed. 

At 32 years old, Zibanejad undoubtedly wants to get back into the playoffs soon. However, with 10 years now on the Rangers, he has been one of the best players on the franchise in the last couple of decades. There certainly appears to be a lot of loyalty to New York, and to help them see it through a bit of a tough patch the last couple of years.