"Many Rangers fans felt at the time of the Mika Zibanejad trade that the Rangers made a mistake. Brassard had been crushing it for the Blueshirts and Zibanejad had a couple of good seasons but hadn't truly broken out yet. Fast forward to today, and Zibanejad has been one of the most valuable Rangers ever. How do we come to terms with Mika Zibanejad's career, though? This is a player who never truly competed for any major award, never made it to the Stanley Cup Final, and at this point in his career is someone fans look at as a potential negative if his decline is real."
"Still, Zibanejad has been an awesome Ranger. A playoff OT winner, a five goal game, countless regular season OT winners, and an endless amount of strong penalty-killing. He has also been the best Rangers forward to start this season, and it's not even particularly close."
Mika Zibanejad was acquired for Derick Brassard and a second-round pick after being viewed as an unproven player. He developed into one of the Rangers' most valuable forwards through playoff and regular-season clutch performances, including overtime and five-goal games, and consistent penalty killing. He has not competed for major awards or reached the Stanley Cup Final, and recent scoring concerns have raised doubts about his future value. Trade speculation centered on roster and contract flexibility, but Zibanejad remained with the Rangers. The current season represents a pivotal point in evaluating his long-term impact and tradeability.
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