For all the layers to this peculiar Rangers season, which has them looking from the outside in on the playoff picture with 32 games to go, the cascading effect of Mika Zibanejad’s dropoff has been at the forefront.
The worst of it may be behind the Swedish center, now that he and the Blueshirts as a whole have stabilized a bit.
There simply has been no semblance, however, of the Zibanejad who served as the Rangers No. 1 center entering the season.
“Creating chances, being on the attack and I think being good defensively — all the things that everyone expected from me,” Zibanejad told The Post of what it looks like to him when he’s at his best. “That doesn’t happen, and then you guys talk about it and you ask me about this and that. All the things that you guys are expecting, I think that’s kind of been things that I feel have been showing more now.
“But also for my own sake, I think it’s just what I’m expecting out of myself. Not just expecting, but what I know I can do. It’s been better.”
Zibanejad has been an offensively streaky player for most of his 14-year NHL career, but this has been ongoing through a 50-game body of work.
There’s something off on both sides of his game, though even more noticeably on defense because it’s always been a strength of his.
This month saw Zibanejad score three goals and dish five assists to tie Sam Carrick for the fourth-most points on the team, as the Rangers went 8-3-3.
He’s scored two five-on-five goals and been on for three to go along with a 56-percent mark on faceoffs.
The eye test takes into account energy and body language, and Zibanejad’s results still raise concern.
It’s evident in the way the 31-year-old comes in on a breakaway. He’s generated 11 this season, according to the MSG broadcast Tuesday night, and has only scored on one.
His current 8.2 shooting percentage is the lowest he’s had since his second season in the league with Ottawa in 2012-13.
And after finishing with 52-58 percent of his power-play shot attempts landing on net in the last five seasons, Zibanejad is at 42.67 percent in 2024-25, per numbers provided by Natural Stat Trick.
The one-timer with the man advantage hasn’t been there for Zibanejad in what feels like two years.
Penalty kill units and goalies are ready for it every time. He’s missed the net a ton, and struggled to win puck battles along the boards.
Only 12 of his 29 points have come during five-on-five play, while Zibanejad has scored just three power-play goals.
If the season ended Thursday, Zibanejad would finish at a career-worst minus-25, which would only rival his second Rangers season in 2017-18 (minus-23).
“I don’t think the outside noise will ever be as loud as the [self] critique of my own game,” he said. “The reason why a lot of us — all of us — are here is we’ve been our biggest critics. Not just saying that you have to be negative about yourself every time something bad happens, but it’s like understanding, ‘When should I dig in? When should I work harder? When should I cut myself some slack and be like hey, you’ve done a good job the result is maybe not there?’ ”
The notion that Zibanejad doesn’t care is unfair. A slump does not equate to a player’s dedication level.
There is no shame, however, in being realistic about a situation.
The Rangers need Zibanejad, who has a no-move clause in his contract extension that has six years remaining at an annual $8.5 million cap charge, but the version that’s going to uplift the rest of the team.
Peter Laviolette has resisted sitting Zibanejad, even though the Rangers head coach benched Chris Kreider for a Dec. 23 game with hope that it would jump start the team’s longest-tenured player.
“When things don’t go well, you’re always trying to look for an answer,” Zibanejad said. “Everyone is asking, why is that happening, why is this happening. It’s not like it’s the first time in the history of a professional career that I haven’t played well. It’s not the first time, it happens. Do I want it to happen? No. But I’m trying to work. The month of January has been about being resilient, working and trusting myself and not doubting what I’m capable of doing — and just play. Obviously, when the team plays better as well, it’s easier when you win games, it’s easier.
“The energy gets back to a higher level. The fun is more often. Just playing my game and, again, playing like I know I can.”
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