900-Game New York Rangers Veteran Confirms His Future With the Team

Rangers veteran center Mika Zibanejad confirmed today exactly what his intentions are heading into next season and the future beyond that. The New York Rangers arguably just had the worst season compared to pre-season expectations in the entire NHL. There were plenty of teams that finished below them in the standings, but most of them, like the Chicago Blackhawks for example, were not expected to be good this year.

But for the Rangers, expectations were high after the team cruised to the Eastern Conference final last season. Instead, they stand at 38-36-7 with one last game against the Tampa Bay Lightning today. Since the club has been eliminated from the playoffs for some time now, the conversation has shifted to the upcoming offseason.



There is a lot of blame to go around from general manager Chris Drury to head coach Peter Laviolette, who is certainly on the hot seat , and the players, many of whom underperformed this year. One said underperformer is Winger Mika Zibanejad, who has just 18 goals and 59 points through 81 games. It is his second lowest scoring pace since joining the Rangers, and pails in comparison to his 72-point and 91-point seasons the last two years.

Despite the team's struggles this year though, it appears as though Zibanejad is committed to the club. He told reporters today that he has no intentions of going anywhere else. Zibanejad has three years left on his contract that carries an 8.

5 million dollar cap hit as well as a full no trade clause. The 31-year-old has 248 career goals and 586 points in 648 games with the Rangers. This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

.