The New York Rangers have seen a surge of leadership from center Mika Zibanejad, who has started this season centering a line with Artemi Panarin and Pavel Buchnevich. On opening night, Zibanejad posted a goal and three assists for a total of four points as the Blueshirts picked up a 6-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
He then followed up with a hat trick performance against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, earning him NHL “First Star of the Week” honors on Monday.
Throughout the the summer, it seemed that Zibanejad was the favorite for the captaincy on Broadway.