NY Rangers Star Surprisingly Absent From Top 20 Center List

The New York Rangers had one player who was snubbed from the top 20 center list.

Apr 15, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) (center) reacts with left wing Alexis Lafrenière (13) (left) and center J.T. Miller (8) (right) after scoring a goal 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

If the New York Rangers are going to make any noise this season, they are going to need their key contributors to play at a high level.

There are two legitimate franchise cornerstones in defenseman Adam Fox and goalie Igor Shesterkin to game-plan around. Both are true stars, reflected in their place in the top 20 rankings for their respective positions.

Fox, coming off an injury-plagued campaign in which he recorded 53 points in 55 games, was ranked No. 13 among defensemen entering the 2026-27 preseason. Shesterkin is elite in net, coming in at No. 3.

Upfront, the Rangers are lacking an elite player of that stature, but it was still a little surprising not to see Mika Zibanejad included on the list of top 20 centers in the NHL right now, just a few weeks away from training camp getting underway.

Mika Zibanejad snubbed from top 20 centers list

Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) skates against the Detroit Red Wings during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The veteran center had a strong bounce-back campaign in 2025-26, recording 78 points in 81 games, scoring 34 goals to go along with 44 assists. He did have a brutal -20 plus/minus ratio, but that speaks more to the entire state of the team’s performance than Zibanejad individually.

That was a great response to a down 2024-25 season when he had only 62 points, scoring 20 goals with 42 assists, in 82 games with a plus/minus ratio of -22. Outside of that outlier campaign, the consistency that he provides is part of why he deserved a spot on this list.

Zibanejad has played in at least 81 games in five consecutive seasons, showing up for the team on a nightly basis. In 407 games, he has produced 384 points, lighting the lamp 148 times and handing out 236 assists.

Rangers need Mika Zibanejad to keep producing

Mar 23, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With a new potential linemate in Pavel Dorofeyev, it will certainly be interesting to see Zibanejad’s playmaking alongside an elite shotmaker, with the Rangers’ newest winger recording back-to-back seasons with at least 35 goals scored.

Entering his age-33 campaign, it is understandable why the New York star would be overlooked for such a list. There are a lot of talented players up the middle, some of whom are a decade or more younger than Zibanejad.

But his consistent production and leadership on the ice are certainly more than enough for him to have warranted consideration for a top-20 spot. Putting together another campaign averaging nearly one point per game would certainly help put him in the mix for future lists.