The New York Rangers appeared to find a very nifty solution to the problem of Mike Zibanejad’s declining production last season. They took him out of the middle and put him on the right wing of center J.T. Miller’s line.
The pair thrived together after Miller was acquired Jan. 31, and new coach Mike Sullivan recently indicated that the arrangement will have every chance to continue in 2025-26. Though that seems to be a good strategy, Zibanejad’s move out of the center spot comes with some worry as well.
That’s because it has fully exposed the Rangers glaring lack of young depth at center, not just on the NHL roster, but throughout the organization.