The New York Rangers Center is surrounded by trade rumors. Zibanejad Mika
The New York Rangers continue to make headlines in the rumor mill. According to Full Press Hockey, the Rangers are open for business under General Manager Chris Drury. After trading Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks and Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken, it is expected that he will not be completed. It looks that the Rangers’ next move will feature center Mika Zibanejad.
Zibanejad and the Rangers have not had a fantastic season. Things worsened following their 12-4-1 start. The Rangers have been in free fall since Drury sent out a memo notifying clubs that Trouba, Kakko, Chris Kreider, K’Andre Miller, and Ryan Lindgren were available.
Despite the fact that the head coach kept putting Zibanejad on the ice, his performance deteriorated. Zibanejad has 21 points in 35 games this season with the Rangers, including six goals and 15 assists.
But Drury has attempted to be ruthless since the summer. Consider the move to place Barclay Goodrow on waivers in order to free up salary cap space. Asking a player to renounce his NMC (no-movement clause) is unprecedented. We witnessed what happened in Tampa with Ryan McDonagh after their third appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.
The fact that Mika Zibanejad’s name has surfaced in trade conversations indicates that the Rangers are serious about shaking things up.
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Could Mika Zibanejad Waive His No-Movement Clause
However, Drury and the Rangers might not be done making deals. According to Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period on a recent episode of The Latest, the Rangers are about to make another move, and Mika Zibanejad is a player to keep an eye on.
This is not the first time Zibanejad’s name has appeared in trade rumors. According to RG’s Marco D’Amico, a source close to the matter informed him that Zibanejad’s name is out there. “They’re not necessarily trying to get rid of him, but they let guys know he could be available at the right price.”
This is identical to what Pagnotta reported. If the price is good, the Rangers will ask Zibanejad to waive his no-movement clause.
Again, a trade including Mika Zibanejad would be tough to execute currently. However, this might be something the Rangers revisit this summer. As previously said, the Rangers have other players available, such as Lindgren and Miller, who might transfer before Zibanejad.
The Rangers are an intriguing team to follow as the calendar turns to 2025 and the NHL Trade Deadline approaches on March 7th.
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