As the New York Rangers closed out the 2024-25 NHL season, the conversation shifted from games and goals to injuries and surgeries. During break-up day, players opened up about the physical toll of the season, revealing long-term injuries, new recoveries, and what the team might look like next season. Braden Schneider, Adam Edstrom, Matt Rempe, Chris Kreider, and Mika Zibanejad were all part of this latest update.
- Braden Schneider had shoulder surgery after playing through pain for two years and expects a full return by training camp.
- Adam Edstrom is back on the ice following lower-body surgery, and Matt Rempe is nearing a return from an upper-body injury.
- Mika Zibanejad is battling illness, while Chris Kreider played through multiple injuries during the season, including a hand issue and vertigo.
Braden Schneider Had Shoulder Surgery
The most serious update came from defenseman Braden Schneider. On break-up day, the 23-year-old walked in with his right arm in a sling. He explained that he had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. He had played with the injury for two full seasons, as doctors told him he could keep playing with it, but it could cause more problems later in life. So, Schneider chose to have the operation after the Rangers were eliminated from playoff contention.
“It’s something they said I could go the rest of my playing career playing with,” Schneider said. “But it puts me at risk for other things down the road.”
Though he was able to play through the pain, Schneider said the injury affected his ability to play physically, which is one of the most important parts of his game.
“There were times where I’d aggravate it and there’d be a string of games where I wasn’t as physical as I wanted to be,” he explained. “Puck-handling and shooting, I felt fine. But it was something I was thinking about, and it needed to get done.”
Even with the injury, Schneider had his best season yet. He played 80 of 82 games, scored 6 goals, added 15 assists, and totaled 21 points—career highs in all categories. He also finished strong, with 3 goals and 7 points in his final 17 games. One of those goals was a dramatic overtime winner against the Minnesota Wild on March 13.
Schneider expects to be ready for training camp in the fall. The Rangers believe a fully healthy Schneider could return to the physical, shut-down defenseman they drafted him to be. When the team moved up from the 22nd to the 19th pick in the 2020 NHL Draft to select him, just ahead of the New Jersey Devils, they saw him as a long-term piece on the blue line. Former team president John Davidson even celebrated the trade at the time. Schneider was compared to former captain Jacob Trouba, nicknamed “Baby Trouba” for his style of play.
This season, he recorded 146 hits, down from 167 the year before. With surgery behind him, the Rangers hope he can return to that physical level. He stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 213 pounds. A healthy version of him might feel like the team is adding a new player without making a trade.
Adam Edstrom Back on the Ice After Surgery, Kreider Played Through Multiple Injuries
Next, Adam Edstrom spoke publicly for the first time since getting injured. The 6-foot-7 forward had surgery after suffering a lower-body injury in a game against the Boston Bruins on February 1. He said he had started skating again and might have returned if the Rangers had made the playoffs.
Before the injury, Edstrom played in the first 51 games of the season. He scored 5 goals and earned 9 points, mainly on the fourth line with Matt Rempe and Sam Carrick. He also played on the penalty kill and showed physical strength. On October 13, he got into his first NHL fight against Arizona’s Jack McBain.
“It’s tough,” Edstrom said. “I really thought we got going there at the end — me, ‘Remps,’ and Carrick — we found something really good.”
Even though he missed the final months, Edstrom said he was proud of making the team and playing consistently until the injury.
Another veteran who played through pain was Chris Kreider. He revealed he injured his left hand on February 22 against the Buffalo Sabres, and there’s a possibility he will need surgery. In addition, Kreider said he dealt with a back issue and vertigo from an illness during the season. Despite all of this, he stayed in the lineup and did not miss games.
Matt Rempe Practicing Again After Upper-Body Injury
Meanwhile, Matt Rempe is also on his way back. The 6-foot-9 forward returned to full practice after missing three games with an upper-body injury. The injury likely occurred during a fight with Kings forward Tanner Jeannot on March 25, though the team has not confirmed that.
At practice, Rempe wore a regular jersey and delivered hard hits during drills. He also skated in line rushes with Chris Kreider, Sam Carrick, and Brett Berard.
Before this injury, Rempe had played in 31 of 32 games after serving an eight-game suspension for boarding Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen. In total, he played 36 games this season, scoring 2 goals and 3 assists while recording 63 penalty minutes.
Compared to last season, when he had 71 penalty minutes in just 17 games, Rempe has improved his discipline. He still plays a physical style but takes fewer unnecessary penalties.
Rempe has a heated history with the Devils. Last season, he earned 47 penalty minutes in three games against them and was suspended for elbowing defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler. On April 3, 2024, he was part of a line brawl to start the game. This season, he played in one of the Rangers’ three games against New Jersey—a 3-2 overtime win at Madison Square Garden on January 9, where he logged 7:47 of ice time.
Mika Zibanejad Misses Practice Due to Illness
Lastly, Mika Zibanejad was absent from practice because he was sick. This was unusual, as the 31-year-old had played all 75 games so far this season and missed only two games over the last four years.
His recent performance, however, has slowed. After a productive stretch following the arrival of J.T. Miller from Vancouver on January 31, Zibanejad has only 1 goal and 1 assist in his last 8 games. He is fourth on the team with 51 points and tied for fifth with 16 goals.
With playoff hopes still alive, the team needs Zibanejad to return to form quickly. The Rangers hold a 36-31-7 record and sit ninth in the Eastern Conference. They are two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final wild-card spot. The Rangers are 2-0-1 in their last three games and need their first three-game win streak since November 14–19 to stay in the race.
In Zibanejad’s absence, Juuso Parssinen filled in at center between Will Cuylle and Jonny Brodzinski. On the power play, Brennan Othmann took Zibanejad’s spot on the top unit during practice.
