New York Rangers fans have received some positive news despite the team’s demoralizing 2025-26 season. Although they entered the campaign with relatively high hopes, the Rangers struggled and finished without a playoff berth. Not only did they miss the postseason, but New York ended the season with the third-worst record in the NHL.
Due to the team’s underwhelming campaign, general manager Chris Drury will continue making major moves in the offseason. Vincent Trocheck and Braden Schneider are expected to be offloaded this summer. There has also been plenty of speculation regarding the futures of star veterans Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad. Many wondered if the key players were willing to stick it out through the retooling.
Nevertheless, both players have since committed to New York. Fox told The Athletic’s Vince Mercogliano that he recently noticed “promising signs” in the team. Zibanejad, on the other hand, was more emphatic on his plans. Rangers players were interviewed on April 17 as they cleaned out their lockers for the year. Reporters obviously asked Zibanejad how he felt about the retool. “I want to be here,” proclaimed the forward, as reported by SNY.
“I’ve been here for 10 years. I’ve gone through the ups and downs. For me, yeah, retool or whatever, but you just look around the league and see how fast it can go… I’m optimistic, especially with the young guys coming in, too, and playing. I don’t feel like we need a whole lot. I want to be here to turn this around and hopefully get another chance to win [a Stanley Cup].”
New York Rangers Fans Call on Mika Zibanejad to be New Club Captain
GettyMika Zibanejad had a solid season despite New York’s place in the standings.
It is safe to say that Rangers fans liked what they heard from Zibanejad. Many supporters immediately took to social media to support the star. In fact, the two most-liked comments under Mercogliano’s post referencing the fresh Zibanejad quotes call for the center to become the new club captain.
Fellow forward J.T. Miller was previously named captain of the Rangers in September 2025. The veteran’s first season at the helm was certainly rocky. New York fans ripped Miller in November after a video surfaced on social media showing the star not giving his all during a game. The forward was also criticized for making bizarre comments after a shutout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in February.
Despite the tough campaign, Miller recently claimed that he was “not unhappy” with how his season turned out. This was even though he posted disappointing stats across the board, including having just 15 takeaways against 84 giveaways. Both of these figures are career-worst for the star during a full season.
New York Unlikely to Change Captains This Summer
The New York Rangers are not expected to make a captain change ahead of the 2026-27 season, though. Miller is signed until the summer of 2030, and his $8 million AAV contract will be almost impossible to move anytime soon. Zibanejad also recently praised his captain for handling such a difficult year.
While New York fans have noticed Zibanejad’s decline in production during recent seasons, he did manage to bounce back in 2025-26. Despite the disappointing campaign for the club, the center racked up 34 goals and 44 assists (78 points) on the year. This was his highest tally since the 2022-23 season.
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