When you discuss the top five centers in the National Hockey League since 2019, what names come to mind? Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Leon Draisaitl, and Nathan MacKinnon are the no-brainer answers. But who’s fifth on that list? I’d argue that it has been New York Rangers star center Mika Zibanejad.
Some outside the New York bubble may not think of the 6-foot-2 Swedish center as an elite level forward but the numbers since 2019, Zibanejad’s breakout year, would tell you otherwise.
Mika Zibanejad one of NHL’s best centers
