Danny Wild-Imagn Images

NHL insider reveals major issues surrounding New York Rangers superstar

Originally posted on NY Rangers Insider
By Hunter Bowman | Last updated Dec 11, 2024 4:01 PM ET

The New York Rangers have been off to a troubling start of the season when compared to expectations from last year, and now they have just received more bad news regarding Mika Zibanejad.

The New York Rangers have been the center of attention for the last few weeks, as they traded their captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, leaving many fans curious how it would improve their production.

Unfortunately it has not, as on Monday night, the Rangers took another embarrassing loss to the Chicago Blackhawks for their eighth loss in the last 10 games.

Since Trouba is no longer part of the Rangers, the attention has shifted over to star forward Mika Ziabanejad, and he seems to be the one who is the most under pressure as he has not met expectations.

Rangers insider Larry Brooks of the New York Post recently called out Mika Zibanejad on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast and called him "very sensitive" as he's too worried about what others and the media think of him.

Unfortunately, Brooks isn't wrong as everyone has seen the decrease in his production over the last 27 games, as he only put up 20 points (5 G, 15 A).

Along with the decline in production, Zibanejad and his cap hit of $8.5 million has been involved in trade talks recently despite his no-movement clause.

Obviously there is a lot of discomfort in the Rangers locker room after how things unfolded with Trouba, but the veteran players are now presented with the opportunity to get the team back on track.

The Rangers sit at 14-12-1 with 29 points, just a single point out of the second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference. But that could all change Wednesday night as they face off against the Buffalo Sabres.

This article first appeared on NY Rangers Insider and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: