Suggested New Year’s resolutions for New York Rangers to turn dismal season around in 2025
With the New Year quickly approaching, and the New York Rangers only winning four of their past 19 games, it’s clear that certain members of the team should make resolutions for their greater good.
The holiday break hopefully served as a time for the Rangers to reflect and reset after an all-out freefall that started back in November. Since November 21st, the Rangers have gone 15-4 and have traded away their captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim, and former 2nd overall pick Kaapo Kakko to Seattle.
With 21 games between the holiday break and the break for the 4 Nations Face-off in February, it’ll truly be a testament to if the Rangers can turn it around and get back into the playoff race. The New Year will tell if there is any gas left in the tank for the Rangers and if the holiday break served as a real turning point for the previous President Trophy winners.
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2025 New Year’s resolutions for New York Rangers
Here are some of the Rangers’ resolutions going into the New Year.
Mika Zibanejad—To find his shot
Incredibly, at just age 31, Mika Zibanejad appears to be in a steep decline, one that began last season. After two seasons with more than 80 points, including 91 in 2022-23, Zibanejad finished last season with 72 points despite playing all but one game. Though 72 points isn’t something to shy away from, it’s certainly not up to par with what Zibanejad is capable of. Add in that the veteran center’s production fell off a cliff when the going got tough in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and, well, here we are.
It’s clear that Zibanejad has lost faith in his shot, particularly the one-timer he’s known for on the power play. Pointless in his past eight games and with an abysmal six goals and 15 assists for 21 points in 36 games this season, Zibanejad also needs to regain his passion and play with more confidence and intensity.
Matt Rempe—Learn to control his elbow
There’s no doubt that Matt Rempe’s latest 8-game suspension for elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen is part of a bigger issue with the 6-foot-9 forward. It’s clear that if Rempe wants to be an NHL player, he must learn to control his elbow. Consider that he’s played 22 NHL games, and been suspended for 12 games. Not a great ratio.
Rempe’s height can’t be helped, and unfortunately, that means that his shoulder usually hits opposing players in the head, but Rempe isn’t the first extremely tall person to play in the NHL. Learning control will not only result in fewer penalties and suspensions but silence the cacophony of noise surrounding him and his ability to play in the League. The Rangers need him to figure this out ASAP because he’s an important physical spark plug they can really use moving forward.
Artemi Panarin—Shave his head
When Artemi Panarin shaved his head the summer of 2023 after the Rangers lost in the first round of the playoffs to the New Jersey Devils, it signified a new era for the player. Panarin established NHL career highs in goals and points, finishing the regular season with 49 goals and 71 assists for 120 points, the second highest total in Rangers history.
Though Panarin stated that shedding his curls had nothing to do with the Rangers’ seven-game loss to the Devils, it’s hard not to make the connection between the Breadman’s new hairdo and his productivity last season.
With the Rangers in a complete free fall, desperate times call for desperate measures. Sure, Panarin shaving his head won’t actually change anything, but the symbolism might serve as a spark for the 33-year-old and his teammates. At worst, it just might lighten the mood around this morose bunch.
Adam Fox—Score more goals
Adam Fox is more playmaker than goal scorer, despite potting an NHL career-high 17 goals last season. But the Norris Trophy-winning defenseman has a heckuva’ shot and should have more than one goal — an empty-netter at that — this season.
It’s clear that Fox needs to start being a little more selfish with the puck and shoot more often, especially if his teammates consistently fail to convert when he passes it to them. The Rangers desperately need more production 5v5 and on the power play. As their leader in TOI and with an impressive skill set, Fox must turn up his offensive game if the Rangers are going anywhere this season.
Will Cuylle—Sustain current productivity
Will Cuylle has arguably been the Rangers best forward so far this season. Cuylle has already surpassed his points total (21) from his rookie season in 2023-24, all before the holiday break. He’s third on the Rangers with 11 goals and 24 points. Throughout their fall in the standings, Cuylle has been a rare bright spot. Since the losing streak began against Calgary in late November, Cuylle registered five goals and five assists. But even he is struggling now, with one goal and two points in his past nine games.
That’s a blip to some others on the roster. But the Rangers started to rely on Cuylle more and more earlier in the season, so he needs to sustain his scoring pace and help balance the lineup if and when the stars finally start producing themselves.
Ryan Lindgren—Stay healthy
After beginning the season out injured with a broken jaw, Ryan Lindgren isn’t having his best season. The defensive defenseman missed the first five games after having jaw surgery and began his season wearing a bubble mask. It’s clear that Lindgren was a step behind where he should’ve been when he returned, and his numbers show it.
Despite being the Rangers’ shut-down defenseman, Lindgren boasts a plus-96 is his career but sits at a minus-3 this season, one of the lowest among the team’s defensemen.
If Lindgren wants to salvage his season and set himself up for a successful off-season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, he needs to remain healthy, something that the 26-year-old has struggled with in the past. Typically, you can’t control health, but for his own good and that of the Rangers, Lindgren must catch a break, stay healthy and find his game.
Filip Chytil—Return to pre-injury level of productivity
It’s safe to say that after Filip Chytil’s series of concussions last season, the Rangers were concerned about how he’d perform this season. However, the 25-year-old was part of one of the best lines in the League before he was taken out by his own man and missed seven games in mid-November. Since returning, he has three goals and one assist in 14 games, though Chytil played his best game all season Monday in the 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.
Chytil was New York’s best player in Florida; he scored a goal and registered seven shots on goal. So, hopefully, he’ll take that momentum into the New Year. Remember, he had 22 goals and 45 points just two seasons ago.
Jonathan Quick—Get at least 2 more wins
Jonathan Quick morphed into a solid backup in his tenure with the Rangers and last season became the winningest United States-born goaltender in NHL history. Quick’s next feat is joining the exclusive ranks of goaltenders with more than 400 career wins, a group that consists of only 14 goalies to date.
Quick currently sits at 398 wins, but may have longer to wait to join that exclusive group because of the Rangers poor play.
Alexis Lafreniere—Play like a $7.45 Million per year forward
Though Alexis Lafreniere showed signs of life in the Rangers’ loss to the Panthers on Monday, he’s pointless in six consecutive games and without a goal in 10 straight. After signing a seven-year $52.15 million contract extension in October, the former first overall pick has been a ghost following a fast start to the season. He sits at nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 36 games this season after scoring 28 goals and finishing with 57 points in his breakout 2023-24 campaign.
Though Lafreniere had four memorable shots on goal against Florida, it simply isn’t enough to justify his new contract. After blossoming last season, Lafreniere should aim to produce more in the New Year.
Chris Drury—Reclaim Rangers’ narrative
There is no doubt that Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury is under heavy scruting right now. Things are a mess is one of the most disappointing seasons in Rangers history. And Drury is front and center with moves he did and did not make, and how he handled the exits of popular veterans Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba.
Drury often plays his cards close to his chest, so it’s not clear what or if he’ll make any more big moves in the coming weeks, but it’s clear that with the Rangers sitting at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, Drury needs to do something to get a hold over the locker room and the overall narrative about what the Rangers plan is.
Is Drury’s focus on salvaging the season? Is it clearing cap space to make a splash in free agency next summer? Is it to completely break up the veteran core, or simply to tweak it? Simply, what is the Rangers narrative going to be moving forward?
His actions will dictate that narrative in the coming weeks and months.
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