Zibanejad’s Family Denies Trade Speculation Amid Rangers Overhaul

NEW YORK, NY — Irma Zibanejad, the former Swedish soccer player and wife of New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad, addressed trade rumors regarding her husband on Monday. Her comments come as speculation mounts about a possible roster shakeup as the team prepares for the upcoming season.

In an interview with Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, Irma shared insights about her husband’s recent developments. “We just had Mika’s new coach, Mike Sullivan, here at our home; he flew over from New York recently,” she said. “We also just got our new home in New York. I’m always shocked about how newspapers just spread things without considering the source.” This statement suggests that the Zibanejads have no plans to leave New York.

Mika Zibanejad is entering his 32nd year, and the recent purchase of a new home follows the sale of their West Village townhouse for $13 million. This led to speculation that he might be leaving the Rangers, especially with team president Chris Drury seeking to change locker room chemistry after a disappointing season.

Reports indicate that Drury has been in communication with Zibanejad, who is now the longest-tenured Ranger after the departure of Chris Kreider. Irma emphasized the miscommunication and rumors often misrepresenting their situation. “So interesting with newspaper articles that there is zero truth in it,” she wrote on Instagram.

Despite the noise around his potential departure, Mika Zibanejad is under an eight-year, $68 million contract with a full no-move clause, making any trade challenging without his consent. Zibanejad has five years remaining on his contract, underlining his commitment to the Rangers.

Meanwhile, in other NHL news, no Rangers players were included in the initial Olympic team selections for the men’s ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Games. Rangers defenseman Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad were both left off of their respective national team rosters.