The New York Rangers had a surprising and disappointing season last year, failing to make the playoffs despite reaching the conference finals in two of the previous three years. In response, they parted ways with head coach Peter Laviolette and brought in Mike Sullivan to take over.
Some fans have expressed a desire to see changes on the roster, including moving on from forward. However, a look at his contract reveals that such a move isn’t feasible.
“There’s been a lot of buzz and speculation about Him,” said Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast. “I looked into it, and here’s what I found: he hasn’t been asked to provide a list of teams or waive his no-move clause. He has full control here. Nothing can happen without his approval.”
Zibanejad’s contract heavily favors the player. He’s in the fourth year of an eight-year, $68 million extension he signed in 2022, which carries an $8.5 million annual cap hit. Because of the full no-move clause in the deal, the Rangers cannot trade or waive him without his consent.
As The Athletic wrote back in January: “The 31-year-old Zibanejad holds all the power. His $8.5 million AAV deal runs through the 2029-30 season and includes a full no-move clause until its final year. That gives him the final say on any trade, and prevents the Rangers from placing him on waivers.”
Mika Zibanejad Wife Confirms He Isn’t Going Anywhere
Some fans still hoping that Mika Zibanejad might waive his contract to facilitate a trade are likely to be disappointed. His wife, Irma Zibanejad, recently addressed the rumors in an interview with Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, as translated by The New York Times.
“Mika’s new coach, Mike Sullivan, just visited us at our home — he flew in from New York,” she said. “We also just bought a new house in New York. I’m always surprised by how easily newspapers spread rumors without checking their sources.”
Her comments come in response to increasing speculation that the Rangers could be looking to move on from Zibanejad’s contract.
This seems to put a definitive end to the offseason speculation surrounding his future.
Zibanejad’s Play Took a Turn
Zibanejad began his NHL career in Ottawa at just 18 years old. After five seasons with the Senators, he made the move to New York.
Now, nine seasons into his tenure with the Rangers, the veteran center has accumulated 589 points in 649 games — including 250 goals and 339 assists. However, last season marked a significant decline in his performance, with his lowest goal total since his first year with the team, a season in which he missed 26 games due to injury.
For the first time in five years, he also finished with a negative plus-minus rating — and not just slightly, but a troubling -22.
He saw a downturn in nearly every statistical category, prompting fans to question: was his underwhelming season the result of a broader team slump, or was the team’s slump partly due to his own diminished play?
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