In case you missed it, there was a game last night in St. Louis. Ultimately, the Rangers were winners by defeating the Blues 2-1 on captain J.T. Miller’s third overtime goal of the season. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak.
As has been the case throughout the first three months, the Rangers do most of their winning on the road. They improved to 13-5-1 away from Madison Square Garden. Astonishingly, 13 of their 17 wins have come while on the road, where they’ve outscored opponents 60-43. The plus-17 goal differential ranks fourth in the NHL, trailing the Avalanche, Lightning, and Stars.
There’s one big difference between the Rangers and those teams. They are abominable at home with a 4-10-3 record that ranks near the bottom of the league. Statisically, their minus-23 goal differential (30 GF 53 GA) is the worst in the NHL. In consecutive defeats to the Ducks and Canucks earlier this week, they were held to only one goal, getting booed off the ice. They’ll return to MSG to host the Flyers early tomorrow afternoon for their final home game of the calendar year. Expectations will be low.
When it comes to evaluating this team, there isn’t much cause for optimism. It isn’t a big deal that they came away with two points against the woefully bad Blues. Even on a night that rookie Gabe Perreault scored his first career NHL goal when a Will Cuylle feed deflected off his skate on the power play, there are more reasons to be concerned about how they played.
Somehow, facing an opponent who played the night before, they were outplayed by a significant margin in the third period. It looked like the Rangers were the team that was playing the second game of a back-to-back. After outshooting the Blues 25-15 through two periods, they spent a lot of time in their defensive zone during a lopsided third that saw the home team test Igor Shesterkin with 11 shots while they managed just five. It was mind-numbing to watch.
In overtime, Vladislav Gavrikov did a good job escaping a check to move the puck for Vincent Trocheck. He then skated into the St. Louis zone and made a back pass in the high slot for an open Miller, whose shot beat Jordan Binnington top shelf to give the Rangers the win.
Miller seems to play better during three-on-three when there’s more open space. He has to figure out a way to get it done at five-on-five in regulation. Of his 10 goals so far, three have come on the power play and three have come in overtime.
There hasn’t been enough consistency or production at even strength for a player who’s making $8 million over the next four years, with his contract expiring in 2030. For at least this season and next, he has a full no-movement clause (NMC). It becomes modified starting in 2027-28. He’ll be 34.
Drury’s Commitment to Veteran Centers Problematic
If there’s a dilemma with the current roster, it’s the commitment from Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury to veteran centers in their thirties. I already highlighted Miller’s deal above. At least, he’ll become eligible to be moved sooner rather than later.
Mika Zibanejad is in the fourth year of a contract that doesn’t expire until 2030. Similar to Miller, he’s 32 and has a full NMC that allows him to stay in the New York City until the final year of the deal. He signed an eight-year, $68 million contract extension on Oct. 10, 2021. He’ll be 36 entering 2029-30. Even more noteworthy, Zibanejad’s contract doesn’t become modified until seven days prior to the 2030 trade deadline when it converts to a 21-team No-Trade List.
Zibanejad loves playing for the Rangers and being part of the city. He has a family that includes wife Irma and two-year-old daughter Ella. Why would he want to uproot his family when they live in the greatest city in the world? Such concerns matter when it comes to asking a player to sign off on waving their NMC.
Miller was comfortable with doing it when Canucks general manager Jim Rutherford approached him last January about a trade to the Big Apple. However, that was a different situation. He didn’t get along with Elias Pettersson, and also took a personal leave of absence before returning. It was obvious that something was going to happen. There was no way Rutherford could keep both happy. So, Miller was happy to accept a deal back to the Rangers where his career started.
On Jan. 31, Miller was traded with Jackson Dorrington and Erik Brannstrom from the Canucks to the Rangers in exchange for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a conditional 2025 first round pick. From a team perspective, Drury doubled down on a roster that never hit its stride. Even though Miller found chemistry with Zibanejad and Cuylle, the Rangers remained inconsistent enough to miss the playoffs.
If there was a positive, Miller put up 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points in 32 games to average over a point-per-game. Zibanejad also finished 2024-25 well by tallying 33 points (11-22-33) over the final 32 games. That included reaching the 20-goal mark for the eighth straight season. However, his 62 points were the lowest total over a full season since he had 47 in 2017-18. He also finished last year with a minus-22 rating for the second lowest of his career.
The thing about investing long-term in players into their thirties is that the contracts normally don’t age well. Zibanejad had already started to show decline in 2023-24 when the Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy. He went from achieving career bests in points (91), even-strength points (50), and power-play goals (20) to 72 points, 35 even-strength points, and 12 power-play goals.
While the numbers were still respectable, there was already concern about his effectiveness at five-on-five. Especially following a disappointing performance in the Eastern Conference Final. Zibanejad didn’t score a goal and had only two assists while Chris Kreider finished with a goal and assist. Neither distinguished themselves in a six-game series loss to the Panthers. Unfortunately, that downward spiral carried over into last year. Injuries limited Kreider, who was put on the block by Drury in a very unpopular league memo.
So far, Zibanejad has been better thus far in 2025-26. His 11 goals are tied with Artemi Panarin for the most on the team. Zibanejad ranks third on the team in scoring with 25 points, with his six power-play goals leading the Blueshirts.
When it comes to the center position, the Rangers also have Vincent Trocheck, who used to play with Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. However, he’s mostly been working with Miller, who’s shifted to the right side.
Trocheck has been worth the contract Drury gave him. The $5.625 million cap hit is in line for a capable second center who is trusted in all situations, including the penalty kill. In fact, Trocheck tied for the league lead with six shorthanded goals last season. That followed up a great 2023-24 that saw him set personal bests in assists (52), points (77) and even-strength points (52) while centering Panarin and Lafreniere. Unfortunately, the trio fell apart defensively, which led to them not being as dependable.
Similar to Miller and Zibanejad, Trocheck is the same age. The 32-year-old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native is in the fourth year of his contract. Unlike the first three when he had a full NMC, he now has a moderated No-Trade Clause which includes a 12-Team No-Trade List for 2025-26. It then becomes a 10-Team No-Trade in 2026-27. The final two seasons, it dwindles down to six.
The question right now for Drury is what happens if the Rangers bottom out. They’re still hanging around due to how much parity there is. Entering Friday, they sat in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division with 38 points in 36 games. With teams continuing to move up and down in the playoff race, the Rangers only trail the wild-card leading Flyers by two points.
The Lightning sit in the final wild-card with 39 points. They remain in that spot ahead of the Devils due to the first tiebreaker, with their 15 regulation wins more than every other team except the Panthers, who came in with 16 headed into their home game against the Hurricanes.
It’s hard to predict what will happen. But if the Rangers continue to lose games, perhaps Drury might have to start considering his options. If you believe the reports, the organization isn’t ready to have a firesale. They still think it’s possible to improve the roster and qualify for the postseason. If you’ve watched them, you know how offensively challenged they are.
At some point, things could change. If they wind up going the wrong way, like the classic scene in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Trocheck could start drawing interest around the league. His contract makes him a good candidate for contenders to ask Drury about. He has value for teams who can use an upgrade at center. Especially considering how versatile he is. We’re talking about a player who’s over 54.0 percent on faceoffs for his career. He brings grit and physicality to most of his shifts.
If there’s a reason that the Rangers should be weary about having over $22 million tied into three veteran centers, it’s that they’re all 32. If you start to look around, it’s a young man’s league. Outside of Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid, who are the game’s best players, we’re starting to see the meteoric rise of Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, and Macklin Celebrini, who are all franchise players that haven’t even turned 21 yet. Celebrini is setting records as a teenager in his super sophomore campaign in San Jose while Bedard and Carlsson have emerged for their respective teams in Chicago and Anaheim.
The Big Panarin Question
Since he chose the bright lights and big city in July 2019, Panarin has been the best ever free agent signed by the Rangers. At 34, the uber talented Bread Man continues to pile up points on Broadway.
Panarin has paced them in scoring every season since agreeing to a seven-year, $81.5 million contract that made him the highest paid player in franchise history. That included posting a career best 49 goals and 120 points in 2023-24. One of the best years ever by a New York Ranger. His 120 points rank second behind Jaromir Jagr for the most in a single season by a Blueshirt. Jagr broke Jean Ratelle’s record in 2005-06 when he scored 54 goals and had 123 points. Both are still franchise marks.
In 465 games with the Rangers, Panarin has registered 197 goals with 387 assists for a total of 584 points, which put him well over a point-per-game. There’s no debating how much he’s produced. Even if his postseason track record hasn’t been as good, he certainly is making a strong case to stay in his walk year.
The big question is whether or not it’s the right move for the team moving forward. With basically all the premier free agents of the 2026 class gone due to signing contract extensions with their current teams (big shocker), there aren’t many big names left. Unless you think Alex Tuch is going to be worth north of the $10 million that he’s rumored to be seeking while stuck in Buffalo. There’s not much else out there.
Entering the season, Panarin was unwilling to take a home team discount for an extension. Is he going to be worth it when he turns 35 on his next deal? He keeps himself in great shape. The skating and dynamic playmaking are still there on most nights. He also possesses a worldclass shot, which he connected on much more over the past two seasons – scoring a combined 86 goals. It hasn’t been as easy to finish on a lousy roster that lacks elite talent.
Part of it might be Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan’s defensive system. They pay much more attention to the details, which include having a solid structure and coming back defensively. The team remains one of the league’s worst offenses, ranking near the bottom in scoring. At the forefront is their Jekyll and Hyde act with the lack of offense at The Garden leading to them getting shut out a franchise record six times in a season.
What does Panarin want? If the team’s going nowhere while stuck in mediocrity, wouldn’t it make sense for him to consider waving his NMC to go try to win a Stanley Cup? He has the final say on whether he wants to stay or go. If they continue to look like a non-contender, the communication between Drury and Panarin will be important.
If you believe the rumors that circulated earlier this season, a number of teams would be interested in acquiring Panarin. How they plan to fit that salary into their cap remains to be seen. Figure any such deal would have the Rangers picking up a portion of the $11.667 million salary. As the calendar year changes, we’ll have a better idea of where things stand.
The Need to Get Younger
On some nights, the lack of speed is evident. It’s hard for the Rangers to keep up with some of the younger and more talented rosters. They were outgunned by Bedard in Chicago. His line dominated most of their shifts with Bedard scoring and setting up a goal in a Blackhawks 3-0 win on Dec. 10.
There hasn’t been much success in regulation this month. In December, the Rangers are 4-3-2. Three of those four victories have come in overtime. In fact, their only win in regulation came on Dec. 4 when they defeated the Senators 4-2. Since then, they’ve lost five of their last seven (2-3-2).
If the big guns aren’t leading the way, the Rangers don’t stand much of a chance. After the top three of Panarin, Zibanejad, and Miller, Cuylle and Lafreniere are the closest. Neither is having a good season.
For the second consecutive year, Lafreniere seems to coast during games. The seven goals and 18 points is underwhelming for a former top pick who gets paid over $7 million. It’s rather pitiful that he only has seven goals, which follows a disturbing trend that started after he was signed long-term.
Cuylle puts more of an honest effort in on most nights. Though not as skilled as Lafreniere, he makes up for it with a willingness to go to the front of the net. He also finishes checks and is more effective on the forecheck. He ranks fourth among Rangers forwards with 19 points (9-10-19). Unfortunately, his defensive game has suffered due to some costly turnovers leading to goals against.
Outside of that, there’s rookie Noah Laba. After making the roster from camp, he’s certainly an effective player while centering the third line. The trouble is that he doesn’t have much to play with.
On a roster devoid of talent, Laba has somehow put up decent numbers. He has five goals and six assists, a plus-1 rating, and is over 52.0 percent on faceoffs as a first-year player. He is even trusted enough by the coaching staff to kill penalties. Laba picked up his 11th point of the season with a nice cross-ice pass that set up Perreault’s first. It was a head-up play by him to get the puck across for Cuylle to find Perreault.
Laba has both the size and speed that most of the roster lacks. However, it’s hard to conclude what his ceiling is. He looks like a capable third line player who’s fundamentally sound. On a team that doesn’t possess much speed, the 22-year-old center has stood out as one of the bright spots. It’ll be interesting to see if he can maintain his play in the second half.
Look no further than Sullivan using Conor Sheary more often than not in the top six. Without Panarin, who missed Thursday’s game due to illness, the 33-year-old veteran was on the first line. For a player who made the team on a PTO, that shouldn’t be the case at this point. He has one goal and eight assists in 33 games. In a recent game, Sheary had what should’ve been a two-on-one, but he butchered the puck, turning it into nothing.
If they want to play him, it should be in a reduced role. He isn’t a bad player, but he shouldn’t be receiving more ice time than Perreault or Brennan Othmann, who was stuck on the fourth line yesterday. What’s even the point of bringing up the 2021 first round pick if he’s not going to play in a top nine role? They’ve absolutely tanked his value. He’s still young enough to be given a look with Laba on the third line and second power play unit, where he should replace Sheary.
Depth scoring remains an issue. Taylor Raddysh hasn’t scored since Oct. 30. He once led the Rangers in goals with five. Now, he’s an afterthought. Why did Drury sign him for two years? Juuso Parssinen was exiled to Hartford and got hurt. He was inexplicably signed for two years last spring. Nothing like Drury doubling down on a failed prospect before he even hired Sullivan.
They’ve tried unsuccessfully to bring up prospects. Brett Berard got 11 games, playing mostly with Laba. Despite providing energy and grit, he didn’t record a point. Jaroslav Chmelar was back up for the second time to play with Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe on the fourth line. His skating and size make him a possible NHL player. But like Berard, he didn’t contribute offensively. His physicality is a plus.
If you could believe it, they actually miss Adam Edstrom. He had only two goals and two helpers in 24 games. He’s still on LTIR. Edstrom has the size, skating, and speed to become a trusted fourth liner. Whether or not he can improve his goal scoring remains to be seen.
With most of these guys, including Rempe, who provides energy on the forecheck and by screening goalies, they’re severely limited. Outside of Perreault, who’s a top prospect, there’s hardly any reason to get excited. The best we can hope for is that Perreault follows up getting his first goal by proving he belongs. At only 20 years old, there’s cause for optimism.
Still Missing Fox
When the Rangers host the Flyers tomorrow, it’ll be without Adam Fox. Remarkably, he still ranks second on the team in points with 26 (3-23-26). He suffered an upper-body injury (shoulder) against the Lightning in the second period on a Brandon Hagel hit on Nov. 29.
Without Fox, the power play is a horror show. Sullivan has tried a five-forward top unit that didn’t have any success. They’ve given up three shorthanded goals, with one being an empty netter against Vancouver. The little used second unit has actually been okay producing both power-play goals since Fox went down.
In the most recent game, Scott Morrow was on the point of the number one unit. A rookie defenseman who’s a good skater with offensive instincts, Morrow is a player to watch. Acquired from Carolina as part of the K’Andre Miller deal that included a first round pick in return, Morrow has one assist in 11 games so far.
On what’s mostly a defensive oriented blue line that features Gavrikov, at least he’s provided offense. The former King has six goals and eight assists for 14 points, which ranks second among Rangers defensemen behind Fox. He isn’t shy about shooting the puck when there’s an opening. The problem is he’s the only defenseman who’s proven capable of contributing from the back end.
Will Borgen, Braden Schneider, and Carson Soucy are offensive to the eyeballs. That isn’t meant to be disrespectful to each. It’s not in their DNA to jump into the play and create offense. To his credit, the defensive-minded Soucy has three goals and three assists to lead that trio. Borgen has two goals and two helpers. Schneider has a goal and five assists. None are capable of playing top minutes.
Sullivan has trusted Schneider enough to have him work with Gavrikov on the top pair. They’ve given up more goals than they’ve been on for, getting outscored 9-3. If they aren’t getting it done, why not try someone else instead? He probably doesn’t want to bump the inexperienced Morrow up. He would have difficulty matched up against better quality competition. Sullivan doesn’t seem interested in breaking up Soucy and Borgen.
If there’s been a player who’s stood out, it’s Matthew Robertson. An unproven commodity entering the season due to Laviolette’s reluctancy to use him, the 2019 second round pick has proven capable of playing sound defensively on the third pair. He’s a stay at home defenseman who uses his size well.
Most intriguing is that when he’s been in the offensive zone, Robertson has made some smart reads that resulted in shots getting through. As evidenced by his two goals and four assists in 27 games, the 24-year-old has proven himself under Sullivan, who seems to favor him over the less physical Urho Vaakanainen. Robertson and Morrow have gotten better as a third pair. Of course, there’s still growing pains, but it’s been mostly positive.
If ever a team needed an infusion of young talent, it’s the Rangers. They still must wait until Fox is cleared before he can return from LTIR. He doesn’t become eligible until Dec. 27 against the Islanders. However, that might not be a realistic timetable for his return. According to Mollie Walker of the NY Post, Fox skated for the first time with the team yesterday. He might not be ready until the new calendar year.
Looking Ahead
Following Saturday’s game against the Flyers, the Rangers head out for Nashville to face the Predators on Sunday night. It’s the first of a six-game road trip. They’ll visit Washington two days before the Christmas break.
Afterwards, they visit the Islanders on Dec. 27 at Elmont Park. In another puzzling schedule snafu, they have to go back to Washington following Carolina for an early New Year’s Eve game. In two days’ time, they’ll meet the Panthers in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2 at LoanDepot Park in Miami. That’s assuming the weather cooperates.
These next seven games could help determine what happens with the season. Of course, there’s no guarantee that any of the teams they’re jockeying with will go on a hot or cold streak. The bottom line is that there’s too many unwatchable games in a league that has invited chaos. The archaic point system isn’t helping. More emphasis must be placed on winning in regulation.
Even worse is that you have potentially three playoff contenders all playing in the same division. If you’ve been paying attention, you know exactly which teams I’m referring to. If not, your hint is where Quinn Hughes now plays. With the current playoff format, only one of those teams will reach the Conference Finals. That is an indictment on the current playoff system.
I’ll have more on other league stuff around the holidays. It sure beats writing about the Rangers.
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Derek
Battle Of Hudson 
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