Even before his two assists in Monday's game seven victory on Monday night, Mika Zibanejad's arrival in New York already looked like a steal, as the Rangers acquired the center along with a second-round pick in a deal with the Senators that saw the Blueshirts part with Derick Brassard.
Now, with Zibanejad putting together a strong postseason and one of the key cogs in the Rangers' run to the Eastern Conference Finals, Boomer says that trade needs to be considered among the best the franchise has ever pulled off.
"Mika's been unbelievable," Boomer said Tuesday. "He's one of the great all-time acquisitions by the New York Rangers, given his production since he's been here and what he's grown into."
Since the trade, Zibanejad has logged 165 goals and 364 points, all with the Rangers, while Brassard, also a center, has 75 goals and 179 points in that span, having played for a remarkable eight teams since that trade in 2016. Meanwhile, Zibanejad has finally put himself among the elite in star centers in the NHL with this playoff performance, capped off by a beautiful pass to Chris Kreider on the power play to put New York ahead 2-0 on Monday.
"I would truly say he's a No. 1 center. There's no doubt in anyone's mind," Boomer said. "He's a playmaker, he plays defense, he's on the power play, he's on the penalty kill. He's a leader in every which way.
"The pass last night on the power play to read the defense the way it was, and for Kreider to tip it in perfectly, those are major, big-time plays."
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