Elliotte Friedman shares eye-opening update on Mika Zibanejad's future with NY Rangers amid interest from Maple Leafs

Mika Zibanejad is still a New York Ranger, but there are talks about his potential landing spots via trade. However, on Wednesday's episode of 32 Thoughts, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared that Zibanejad has not been asked to waive his no-move clause. This means the Rangers are not pushing him out.

"So obviously there's been a lot of ... speculation around, and this is what I can tell you," Friedman said of Zibanejad. "He has not been asked to submit teams or waive.

"Remember, he has control over this. He has the no-move clause. Nothing can happen without the Zibanejad control and approval. He has not been asked to submit teams or waive."

Rangers coach Mike Sullivan flew to Sweden and met Zibanejad. Friedman said the Rangers would not send a coach overseas unless they saw value in the player. The meeting was about rebuilding trust and chemistry.

"The Rangers wouldn't send him out there if their goal was to get rid of the player," Friedman said. "He played on the wing with J.T. Miller towards the end of last year. There were times that looked all right. I think they would like to see if they could try to build more chemistry between them."

Mika Zibanejad finished the 2024–25 season with 62 points in 82 games. His performance dropped from past seasons. Still, he remained important on the special teams. He played the full season and added veteran leadership.

There were rumors that the Toronto Maple Leafs showed interest in Zibanejad. But so far, the Rangers have not made any move. Friedman believes the Rangers want to fix problems rather than trade a key player. He said it's better to solve a problem than get rid of one.

"I believe it's always easier to solve your problem than trade your problem," Friedman said. "That is always preferable. And that is what it sounds like the Rangers are going to try here: put him with J.T. Miller right from the start, build up the chemistry, try to make it work."

Rangers see hope in Mika Zibanejad despite missing the playoffs

The Rangers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021, despite winning the Presidents' Trophy during the 2023-24 NHL season. They had a difficult period from late November to December. That downturn hampered their chances, and even after acquiring J.T. Miller in a trade, things did not improve significantly.

Now, the Rangers plan to pair Mika Zibanejad with Miller to revive his old potential.

"That is what is going on here—helping to try to get Zibanejad back to the player that he has shown he can be," Friedman said.

Zibanejad remains under contract till 2030 and has not agreed to any trade. For now, he is still part of the Rangers’ future.