The New York Rangers missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2021. They got off on the wrong foot and never recovered, despite many trades for general manager Chris Drury. With head coach Peter Laviolette out, many are assuming a big offseason is ahead. But before the Rangers make their changes, former player Brian Boyle bashed the entire team , especially center Mika Zibanejad. This clip is from the New York Post podcast “Up In the Blue Seats.”
“If this is the way they’re gonna go, that we need more communication with management, I [didn’t] know what Glen Sather was doing ever,” Boyle said, referencing the Rangers GM when he was on the team. “Coach, tell me what to do, and then I’ll go and try to do that.”
This was a pretty direct shot at a lot of the veterans on the team who referenced Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba’s departures as reasons for this poor season. Boyle then narrowed his aim at Zibanejad.
“You want to give me more stuff? What we’re gonna in the salary cap next year? Or how are we going to trade this guy or bring this guy up? That’s not your job. Your job is to play center ice and score goals, and be a power play guy. And you’re a leader, and you wear a letter on this team.”
Can the Rangers move on from Mika Zibanejad?
Boyle is far from the only person with criticism for Zibanejad. He had only 62 points this season, his lowest in a full year since 2018, and did cite the Goodrow and Trouba drama on locker clean-out day. Even though Zibanejad has seven years left on his contract and a no-move clause, he could be next.
There are plenty of Rangers fans and analysts who are ready to move on from Zibanejad. He just turned 32 and is coming off his worst season. There would not be much of a market for him, but there wasn’t one for Trouba, and he got moved. It would take attaching a valuable pick or prospect, but it may be worth it.
New York Post reporter Larry Brooks bashed the entire team before Boyle’s rant began. “It was the least enjoyable team that I ever covered. This team just turtled, went into the fetal position, immediately when any adversity struck.”
The Rangers will be the storyline of the offseason as they look to bounce back from this miserable season.
-1744074346-q80.webp "Chiefs’ Local Pro Day Headlined by 3-Time 1,000-Yard Running Back: Report")
