Who was Mika Zibanejad traded for?

Mika Zibanejad is a Swedish professional ice hockey center for the New York Rangers, as of January 2025. He began playing hockey at six with Hammarby IF and later moved to AIK IF before joining Djurgårdens IF, where he made his Elitserien debut in 2010. Zibanejad signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators, who drafted him sixth overall in the 2011 NHL Draft.

In 2016, Zibanejad was traded to the New York Rangers, where he secured a five-year contract extension after his rookie season, becoming the Rangers' first-line center. He signed an eight-year extension in 2021 and was named an alternate captain. Zibanejad played a key role in the Rangers' playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2021-22 season. In 2022-23, he led the team in goals, but the Rangers were eliminated in the first round by the Devils.

Who was Mika Zibanejad traded for?

According to The Hockey Writers, on July 18, 2016, the Ottawa Senators traded Mika Zibanejad and a 2018 second-round pick (which was later used by the Rangers to acquire Jonatan Berggren) to the New York Rangers in exchange for Derick Brassard and a 2018 seventh-round pick. This trade marked the end of Zibanejad's tenure with the Senators, sending him to the Rangers. Brassard, already in his prime at 28, joined the Senators but never quite met expectations.

While the trade made financial sense at the time, with both teams dealing with salary cap issues, it ultimately worked out in favor of the Rangers. Zibanejad became a star player for the Rangers, hitting career milestones, including a 41-goal season. In contrast, Brassard's time with Ottawa was underwhelming, and he was eventually traded again in 2018.

Why was Mika Zibanejad traded?

According to The Hockey Writers, Mika Zibanejad was traded by the Ottawa Senators primarily for financial reasons. The Senators were dealing with salary cap issues and needed to shed some salary to manage their finances better. Zibanejad, coming off a cheap contract, was an unrestricted free agent after the 2016-17 season and was due for a significant raise. The Rangers, on the other hand, needed to free up space to sign restricted free agents like Chris Kreider.

In return, the Senators acquired Derick Brassard, who had a larger cap hit but was only owed less in salary. The trade was seen as a way to manage the cap, but it ultimately didn’t work out well for Ottawa in terms of hockey performance, as Zibanejad blossomed into a star with the Rangers while Brassard’s production in Ottawa didn’t meet expectations.

Also read: Mika Xibanejad Teams