Player Discussion Mika Zibanejad

[SnowblindNYR]

Kreider's cap hit is 6.5m.

I completely forgot. That's a bargain for him.

 

[Chimpradamus]

Mika & Kreider bridging the gap from Henrik's era, through the rebuild, where they never showed a thread of discontent, and into this new window of winning shows a ton about their character. Gallant has talked about how they both came in from Day 1 wanting to get back to the playoffs and they've played big boy hockey all year.

The organization is lucky to have these guys (and Trouba) leading us, and they deserve credit for choosing them as the guys to commit to when they were selling everything else off. Its a good time to be a Ranger fan.

While I still miss they didn't try to keep Zuke and Buch, yes, at least the pieces kept were really solid for sure. Lundqvist has mentioned he liked playing with Zuke because he had "the drive", the will power to win and that was what he respected in Zuke among few others in a squad. I still cannot fathom how he was thrown away in a trade, in a way. Hank vouched for him on a winning team and NYR... and Buch was an incredibly cheap component to have one of the best 1st lines in the game. I don't think I want to talk about it. It's traumatic.

Anyhow, I really doubted Kreider's contract but he shut that opinion up in a convincing way. I'm still imagining NYR could've kept Buch and Zucc for the price of Panarin, but I still really like him, so I'm conflicted. Still leaning towards Buch + Zucc is worth more than Panarin alone though. I still cannot say Panarin hasn't paid his rent, he's quite amazing.

Anyhow, here's a small youtube video about Mika I thought was refreshing:


When he's injury free and in the zone, he's low key one of the best players in the game, because he's so strong in every aspect of the game. He dominates ice when he's on, regardless of the situation. It's very few who can do that convincingly and repetitively. So yeah, Mika's contract is kind of good for NYR - as long as he isn't cheap shotted by scumbags like Malkin. I expected a bigger response.

 

[McRanger92]

While I still miss they didn't try to keep Zuke and Buch, yes, at least the pieces kept were really solid for sure. Lundqvist has mentioned he liked playing with Zuke because he had "the drive", the will power to win and that was what he respected in Zuke among few others in a squad. I still cannot fathom how he was thrown away in a trade, in a way. Hank vouched for him on a winning team and NYR... I don't want to talk about it.

Anyhow, I really doubted Kreider's contract but he shut that opinion up in a convincing way. I'm still imagining NYR could've kept Buch and Zucc for the price of Panarin, but I still really like him, so I'm conflicted. Still leaning towards Buch + Zucc is worth more than Panarin alone though. I still cannot say Panarin hasn't paid his rent, he's quite amazing.

Anyhow, here's a small youtube video about Mika I thought was refreshing:


When he's injury free and in the zone, he's low key one of the best players in the game, because he's so strong in every aspect of the game. He dominates ice when he's on, regardless of the situation. It's very few who can do that convincingly and repetitively. So yeah, Mika's contract is kind of good for NYR - as long as he isn't cheap shotted by scumbags like Malkin. I expected a bigger response.

Agree with a lot of what you said. Difficult to watch Zucc go and succeed elsewhere but the timing wasn't right to keep him around. As for the Malkin hit, the Rangers will remember it. One more game at home with PIT and considering how they've made Subban's life hell since the Reaves & Blais injuries, i believe there will be a response and a message sent to the Penguins.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Have you ever had any Huskies? Get ready for the ride of your life! They are independent thinkers, will do what they want when they want. This guy, Nash, keeps us on our toes everyday. picture 1 is him sleeping on the couch, #2 is at 12 weeks still growing into his ears, #3 is at 6 weeks old and #4 is now at almost 7 years old.

Seriously. We have a beagle named Bocce and it's very similar. Stubborn little guy.

What's funny is Bocce and I were out for a walk the other day and we were able to track down a loose Husky.

He had his leash on still so he must have just took off at the right moment. We would see it darting from house to house in the area. Bocce helped me coax him in close enough to grab his leash.

Powerful dude though, much larger dog - obviously. So he literally pulls me back to his home where his owner was, like several blocks away. He was like alright you got me. Let me show you where I need to go...

I grew up around an albino Siberian Husky with bright blue eyes, pure white. Gorgeous animal. Named Chinook. Smartest dog I ever met, felt like hanging around a wolf. Thing was impressive and would always get loose whenever she felt like it, kill squirrels and rabbits, do whatever else she did. Then find her way back on her own like 2 days later. Happened several times. She lived to 20.

 

[NYR425]

They are escape artists, and are smarter then we are. Nash is constantly test me to try to be the alpha, its like a game. He is a big for Siberian Huskies, 90 lbs and everyone thinks he is a Malamute. I am a very big guy and he pulls me around like a rag doll when we walk. Friendliest thing you would ever want to meet but everyone is scared to death of him.

 

[ElLeetch]

. Still leaning towards Buch + Zucc is worth more than Panarin alone though.

Thats not the full math though. there can be no 2-for-1 values, because you always need a set number of players (and cap space). has to be 2-for-2. so its really Buch+Zucc vs Panarin+Strome/Copp/Kakko/Laf/etc. The choice becomes a lot tougher to make.

 

[Idlerlee]

Have you ever had any Huskies? Get ready for the ride of your life! They are independent thinkers, will do what they want when they want. This guy, Nash, keeps us on our toes everyday. picture 1 is him sleeping on the couch, #2 is at 12 weeks still growing into his ears, #3 is at 6 weeks old and #4 is now at almost 7 years old.

One of my guilty pleasures is watcing "Girl with the dogs" on YouTube groom dogs, and especially huskies.

Everything is a crisis, always.

 

[Raspewtin]

One of my guilty pleasures is watcing "Girl with the dogs" on YouTube groom dogs, and especially huskies.

Everything is a crisis, always.

i love her videos ! good taste

 

[Chimpradamus]

Thats not the full math though. there can be no 2-for-1 values, because you always need a set number of players (and cap space). has to be 2-for-2. so its really Buch+Zucc vs Panarin+Strome/Copp/Kakko/Laf/etc. The choice becomes a lot tougher to make.

All I know is I certainly know I've filled two positions in the top 6 lineup for the price of one. That's good enough for me, especially since Zuke is a two-way monster helping out Shestyerkin and Buchnevich easily makes the Zibanejad - Kreider pairing thrive. Zuke isn't at the quality of Panarin offensively but he's solid enough to really help to carry a solid 2nd line, especially taking in his two-way ability, grit, competititeveness (is that even a word, holy hell to spell it) and leadership. Meanwhile I think Kreider - Zibanejad - Buchnevich might've been one of the best top lines in the league, easily so.

Those shit trades really sting. Still. Especially considering the return and the weakening... I don't know, this should be good enough. It just would've felt more right that way. And still I have nothing against Panarin, I really like him as a player and as a person.

 

[Levitate]

Zucc is 34 years old and having career seasons which is highly, highly unusual. Letting him go at the age most players decline and not wanting to lock yourself into a big contract for such a player while going into a rebuild wasn't a wild or unusual call. Good for Zucc that he's still doing so well but it wasn't a given that would happen and it didn't make sense at the time for hte Rangers to hang onto him

 

[KingDeathMetal]

So Mika the past three seasons from January through the end of the season (or the halfway point of 2020-21, which was March):

96 Games
64 Goals
126 Pts

0.66 goals per game (82 game pace of 54 goals)
1.31 pts per game (82 game pace of 107 pts)

2nd half Mika is arguably one of the 3 or 4 best Centers in the game.

Overall, he's been about a 90 pt pace player for the last three seasons combined.

 

[The New Russian Five]

I'll do it.

In games 43-82 (2nd half of the season) since 2019-20, Mika Zibanejad ranks 3rd in goals with 44 behind Auston Matthews (49) and Leon Draisaitl (45).

In points he's tied for 4th with Panarin with 86 behind Connor McDavid (107), Leon Draisaitl (104) and Patrick Kane (88).

Mika Secondhalfejad

 

[Rangerfan4life90]

Zucc is 34 years old and having career seasons which is highly, highly unusual. Letting him go at the age most players decline and not wanting to lock yourself into a big contract for such a player while going into a rebuild wasn't a wild or unusual call. Good for Zucc that he's still doing so well but it wasn't a given that would happen and it didn't make sense at the time for hte Rangers to hang onto him

I'm not surprised. With his size and the type of game he plays, good chance he'd still be productive at his age. It's why I believe Panarin will be fine later on into his contract barring any major injuries.

 

[RagFinMet]

HBD Mika!
Our best player not named Igor
He's grown into a true 200ft monster.
I remember when some wanted to keep Hayes over Mika.
Thank god our team chose wisely

 

[duhmetreE]

Mika was painful to watch to start the year. For whatever the reasons. I'm hoping to see a similar turn around with Foxy.

Mika really needs to shoot more. He's become an excellent playmaker but it's his shot that sets him apart. Too often he passes up an opportunity where in past seasons, he put it into the net. Need to find that balance

 

[Rangeri]

Mika Secondhalfejad

Or Mika Startingslownejad

 

[Raspewtin]

Mika was painful to watch to start the year. For whatever the reasons. I'm hoping to see a similar turn around with Foxy.

Mika really needs to shoot more. He's become an excellent playmaker but it's his shot that sets him apart. Too often he passes up an opportunity where in past seasons, he put it into the net. Need to find that balance

Fox is definitely hurt and has been for a while

Mika is lowkey having one of the best seasons of his career, maybe the best.

 

[JimmyG89]

The first 5 games of the series didn't go as you'd want to see from Zibanejad, but let's give him his flowers for games 6 and 7. He was the best player on the ice for the team.

Really showed himself on all ends of the ice, in the faceoff dot, and of course getting three huge goals for the team. All it took was one game away from Crosby. Have to think he was in his head about the fact his line is going to be expected to stop them. Game 6, he just went out there and played. Last night, he took it to another level.

 

[Chimpradamus]

The first 5 games of the series didn't go as you'd want to see from Zibanejad, but let's give him his flowers for games 6 and 7. He was the best player on the ice for the team.

Really showed himself on all ends of the ice, in the faceoff dot, and of course getting three huge goals for the team. All it took was one game away from Crosby. Have to think he was in his head about the fact his line is going to be expected to stop them. Game 6, he just went out there and played. Last night, he took it to another level.

Although he didn't score as planned and Crosby stalked him, Gallant and his teammates were all fine with his game. Mika didn't sulk, he just continued to work hard and try to win. Sure, he didn't get the margins on his shots that he wanted but he still produced 4 assists in 5 games while being a very solid two way center. So, he didn't score.

The avalanche of complaining has been impressive considering that. Especially when the team was struggling. The axing of basically most players has been just ridiculous to read. How about some balance in the critique? In New York? Nope. I couldn't even read the post game threads after losses, calm down!

Well, then Zibanejad scored when it mattered and then he scored some more. Alot more. 7 points (3+4) in two games. Both do or die games, now with Crosby back in the second game. After all this he's 3rd in scoring in the entire playoffs.

Mika Zibanejad is a big game player. He has shown it in the Swedish junior and national teams, he has shown it in NYR, consecutively. Those kind of players are rare. And I think he's even more nasty in the league than any other player when it comes to hot sizzling point producing. I've never seen someone being able to continously produce ridiculous amounts of points in very few games when he's just having fun. He can scored double digits in two games if he's really on.

I think some of you should get used to that before you start booing him, complaining about scoring in the latest two games. Unless you also see his two-way game. Gallant calls him the best two-way player on the team. So there's that. The game plan for NYR against CAR is: get Mika an early goal as soon as possible in the series and just watch him go.

 

[duhmetreE]

The first 5 games of the series didn't go as you'd want to see from Zibanejad, but let's give him his flowers for games 6 and 7. He was the best player on the ice for the team.

Really showed himself on all ends of the ice, in the faceoff dot, and of course getting three huge goals for the team. All it took was one game away from Crosby. Have to think he was in his head about the fact his line is going to be expected to stop them. Game 6, he just went out there and played. Last night, he took it to another level.

Too much worrying about an opponents game and it affected his game.

Just go play. Everything will take care of itself.

and shoot.

He was easily our best forward our last playoff run. He is now back to that since Game 6.

 

[cheech70]

When the 3rd period started and whenever there was a shift change ...there was someone who stood out on the ice from my seats in the blues. It was 93 taking the shortest route to the puck in laser like fashion like he just drank an espresso doppio. This was someone who seized the moment and took control of the situation. He would not be denied! Mika is the new legend.... And for those who watched game 7 2022 rebuild edition....Salute to Mika

 

[SA16]

It's nice that he scored those goals but a better coach would have realized the kid line was going and given them more minutes instead of him.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Fox is definitely hurt and has been for a while

Mika is lowkey having one of the best seasons of his career, maybe the best.

2020 was the best season hands down but he’s been so good both ways this season

 

[cheech70]

 

[CLW]

Mika was painful to watch to start the year. For whatever the reasons. I'm hoping to see a similar turn around with Foxy.

Mika really needs to shoot more. He's become an excellent playmaker but it's his shot that sets him apart. Too often he passes up an opportunity where in past seasons, he put it into the net. Need to find that balance

More tofu for Foxy.