If this summer goes as planned for GM Chris Drury, a blockbuster trade could occur when the New York Rangers ask Mika Zibanejad to waive his NMC to facilitate a trade. Could we see fallout similar to a broken locker room like we did after the Jacob Trouba trade?![Mika Zibanejad: Arching His Route Moving Downhill in O Zone]()
GM Chris Drury has gotten used to using alternate means in order to get NHLers to accept trades that are less than ideal to the player.
Given that he threatened to waive Jacob Trouba if he didn't accept a trade, and went around Barclay Goodrow's contract to waive him. It looks like the summer could shape up to be similar for Mika Zibanejad.
Though we don't know if it'll come to waiving the former superstar center.
"You can't have a senior player on the team who knows he's no longer wanted," Brooks wrote, warning that allowing such a situation to carry into the fall again could be toxic.
Zibanejad's situation with the Rangers will be a little bit more complex, given that he has a full NMC and has an $8.5 million cap hit with the team.
It was reported by The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta that he declined a trade to the Canucks for JT Miller earlier in the year. But Zibanejad may waive his NMC for a trade to an actual contender in the NHL.
This could be the summer for Drury to move the former 91-point forward whose production has seen a steady decrease since the 2022-2023 season.
For now, the Rangers forward still holds trade value, and the team could get significant pieces in return.
If the team fails to make it to the playoffs, we should expect Zibanejad's situation with the team to be evaluated, considering the value of his contract and the lack of production for the team.
If Drury needs this to happen, he should ask as soon as the NHL season ends, so by the time July rolls around he has a deal in place.
