Rangers Relying Heavily on Mika Zibanejad & J.T. Miller – The Hockey Writers – New York Rangers

The New York Rangers traded away one of their top centers, Vincent Trocheck, while adding key defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson and wingers Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand this offseason. They will have to rely heavily on their veteran centers Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller to produce offensively while also providing strong defensive play.

Mika Zibanejad

In 2024-25, Zibanejad had a very disappointing season as he made lots of uncharacteristic defensive mistakes and had a down year offensively, finishing with 20 goals and 42 assists in 82 games. His timing was off early on, and while he did play better down the stretch, the Rangers missed the playoffs just one season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy and going on a run to the Eastern Conference Final.

Last season, Zibanejad bounced back and consistently played like a number one center. He was much better defensively and limited the turnovers that plagued him in 2024-25, while using his strength, reach, and speed to make strong plays in the defensive zone both at even strength and on the penalty kill. He even scored two shorthanded goals.

Zibanejad’s timing was better offensively, and he got his heavy slap shot on goal more often, while also forming chemistry and setting up his linemates, Alexis Lafreniere and Gabe Perreault. He finished with 34 goals and 44 assists in 81 games, including 16 goals and 19 assists on power plays, while winning 52.5 percent of his faceoffs.

Though Zibanejad is 33 years old, he still has the speed, strength, and intelligence to succeed, and the hope is he will continue to build chemistry with his younger wingers. He was at his best last season and led the Rangers in both goals and points, while also proving to be one of their best defensive forwards. New York needs him to pick up where he left off last season and continue playing at a high level.

J.T. Miller

After beginning his career with the Rangers, Miller spent time with the Tampa Bay Lightning and then became a star with the Vancouver Canucks. He finished with a career-high 103 points, including a career-high 37 goals, in 81 games for them in 2023-24. He had nine goals and 26 assists in 40 games with them in 2024-25, and New York acquired him in a mid-season trade. He played well after the trade and had 13 goals and 22 assists in 32 games with the Rangers that season.

Miller was named the Rangers’ captain after the season but struggled in 2025-26. He made a lot of defensive mistakes, took some unnecessary penalties, and never played to his potential offensively. He failed to capitalize on some of his best scoring chances and finished with 17 goals and 36 assists in 68 games. He ended up missing time with a few different injuries, including a stint on injured reserve. One of the bright spots for him was that he was excellent on faceoffs and won 61.5 percent of them last season.

While the Rangers were able to rely on Zibanejad and Trocheck last season, with Trocheck gone, there will be even more pressure on Miller to have a bounce-back season. At 33, he still has a good shot and is capable of making difficult passes to set up teammates. He should also continue to be strong on faceoffs, play with physicality, and drive to the front of the net. The key will be consistently playing well and cutting down on the turnovers and defensive mistakes that he made last season.

Importance for the Rangers

The Rangers added some skilled wingers and defensemen and have some talented young players who did a nice job late last season. While they have one young center in Noah Laba, their depth at the position took a hit when they traded Trocheck, which means they need both Zibanejad and Miller to play well this season as they try to bounce back and make the playoffs for the first time since 2023-24.