Mika Zibanejad is a different man for Sweden — Tre Kronor is counting on it

MILAN — It’s been hard to be a Ranger the past two years.

That’s an undisputed fact to anyone who has kept up with remarkable crash by the Blueshirts from the top of a Presidents’ Trophy perch over the past two seasons. For a significant portion of this downfall, Mika Zibanejad has not only faced it head-on as the longest-tenured member of the team’s leadership core, but the Swedish center also battled through the lowest point — both mentally and physically — of his 15-year NHL career.

Even in the thick of his most challenging stretch last season, Zibanejad was the very picture of happiness while wearing the Tre Kronor for Team Sweden at the NHL’s 4 Nations tournament.

The Rangers waved the white flag on the 2025-26 campaign just under a month ago.

While Zibanejad may be enjoying a bounce-back NHL season despite that, expect the 32-year-old to continue to shine his brightest while donning the yellow and blue.

“I think just his overall season has been really good for Mika, and for us, he’s so valuable,” Sweden head coach Sam Hallam said after practice Tuesday. “We can play him up the middle. We can play him on the wing. We can play him power play, PK. He’s just that utility tool with a really smart hockey mind. He’s going to be an important player for us. You’re going to see that [Wednesday against Italy].”