WA-NYR-TradeRumours Mika Zibanejad is a player for the New York Rangers that has faced a lot of scrutiny this season. The veteran forward has struggled to start the season and everything reached a boiling point on Sunday night in a game against the St. Louis Blues when Zibanejad recorded 13:04 minutes, his lowest total since Oct. 27, 2019. Zibanejad averages 18:22 minutes per game, which is why this move caught the eye of many fans and members of the media The 31-year-old forward downplayed his decrease in minutes when he was asked about it on Tuesday. “Honestly, I’m just focusing on today,” Zibanejad said via Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today. [https://x.com/vzmercogliano/status/1869088525414711377] “That happened, and we have a new game today. So, that’s where I’m putting my energy and focus.” Peter Laviolette confirmed that he predetermined reducing Zibanejad’s minutes as this move was not an in-game decision. Chris Kreider also tallied just 15:17 of ice time, way lower than his usual averages while Kaapo Kakko was scratched from the lineup. It’s unclear if Zibanejad will continue to see his role diminish or if the game on Sunday was an outlier.
