The new coach of the New York Rangers, Mike Sullivan, has been working hard to get to know his players and establish a solid foundation for next season. After taking the job, Sullivan visited Mika Zibanejad in Sweden, a gesture that underscores his commitment to building relationships. During their meeting, Sullivan discovered Zibanejad’s affinity for playing alongside the team’s new captain, J.T. Miller. This connection led Sullivan to consider a key strategy for the start of the season.
Alignment Settings
Sullivan is expected to put Zibanejad, who has played most of his career as a center, on Miller’s right wing. This decision is based on the interest of both players and the search for the best performance of the team.The training camp represents Sullivan’s first opportunity to implement his vision on a team that did not meet expectations last season. Communication and relationship building have been fundamental for Sullivan, who seeks to establish a solid connection with the players. General Manager Chris Drury highlighted the importance of Sullivan’s efforts to get to know the players, including travel and time dedicated to building relationships. Sullivan, with his experience and success, seeks to create an environment of collaboration and unity. Sullivan, who won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017, has emphasized the importance of relationships in coaching. His goal is to build a partnership with the players, where everyone shares the same goal: to win. To achieve success, the team will depend on key players like Fox, Gavrikov, and Shesterkin. However, the decision to move Zibanejad to the wing opens a void in a position of great strength.These are important players for our team, so common sense suggests that maybe we start there and see if that’s best for the group.
Mike Sullivan
If we put him in the center, we could have three of the best centers, the 1-2-3 in the center with J.T., Mika and Trocheck. In my opinion, that’s the best there is. The challenge is, do we have what it takes to surround them with [wingers] to create the balance we need and set them up for success?
Mike Sullivan
