Rangers coach Mike Sullivan looking forward to 'new challenge' as training camp begins

GREENBURGH – Rangers coach Mike Sullivan was all business in his joint news conference with GM Chris Drury on the eve of training camp, until he was asked, with the last question, if he was excited to get started.

“I'm real excited,’’ Sullivan said. “It's hard for me to articulate in words, quite honestly. You know, this is a new challenge for me. And I so look forward to the opportunity to get on the ice with these guys.’’

As the Rangers begin their centennial season, Sullivan takes over behind the bench. Peter Laviolette, who in his first season as coach led the team to the Presidents’ Trophy for the best record in the NHL, was fired after the team missed the playoffs in his second season.

Sullivan’s immediate task will be to first get the Rangers back into the playoffs, and then to return them to the status of Stanley Cup contenders. As Drury said, “expectations haven’t changed’’ for the Blueshirts, who made the Eastern Conference finals in 2022 and ’24, and were considered one of the league’s elite teams before last season’s faceplant.

“To me, the expectations haven't changed,’’ Drury said. “We always try to get off to a good start, have a good training camp. You can't win the whole thing without getting in the playoffs. We want to just keep getting better every week, every month, hopefully accumulate enough points and wins to get in the playoffs, and go from there.’’

Drury has tried to do his part to get the team back on track by making plenty of changes to the roster over the past 15 months. Ten of the 18 skaters – and four of the six defensemen – who dressed for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against Florida in 2024 are no longer with the organization.

One of those Drury shipped out was defenseman Jacob Trouba, the team captain. On Tuesday, one of Drury’s recent additions, J.T. Miller, who came in a trade at the end of January from the Vancouver Canucks, was named the new captain.

“We obviously thought he was a terrific choice, just the way he prepares, he plays, how hard he competes,’’ Drury said of Miller. “He goes over the boards looking to get into the fight, and he drags people into it. That's what we need, and we're excited to have him as our captain.’’

In addressing what had been the No. 1 lineup question over the summer, Sullivan said he will start Mika Zibanejad, the former No. 1 center, as a winger, playing on a line with Miller. Sullivan said when he met with Zibanejad in Sweden over the summer, the 32-year-old told him he felt as if he’d developed chemistry with Miller after Laviolette played them together once Miller joined the team.

“J.T. expressed the same thing,’’ Sullivan said. “And I think these guys are important guys for our team. So common sense would suggest that maybe we start there and see if that's in the best interests of the group.’’

Playing Zibanejad on the wing leaves concerns about the team’s depth at the center position, with Juuso Parssinen the likely leader at the moment for the position of third-line center. But Zibanejad would also be the best first-line right wing the Rangers have had since Pavel Buchnevich was traded in 2021.

The subject of Artemi Panarin, who is entering the final year of the contract he signed when he joined the Rangers in 2019 came up. Drury praised Panarin, but as is his custom, shed no light on whether he hopes to sign him to a contract extension.

“You know what I think of him as a player: he's a huge piece of our team and our organization,’’ Drury said. “He looks like he's in great shape and ready to go. And, as far as the contract stuff… as you know, I don't get into negotiations publicly. And any conversations I have with Artemi or his representation will stay that way, just private between me and him.’’

Notes & quotes: Drury said D Braden Schneider, who had shoulder surgery in the offseason, is cleared for contact, but will not scrimmage in camp. However, the plan is for him to play in two of the final three preseason games… D Brandon Scanlin suffered a foot injury in the summer and will not be available for camp… Assistant coach David Quinn was named to Sullivan’s staff for the U.S. Olympic team, along with former Rangers coach John Tortorella and former Devils coach John Hynes.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.