Rangers’ best line trying to enjoy the good times while they last

It’s easy to see right away that Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider are both good friends with Mats Zuccarello. But the Rangers’ red-hot top line likely won’t be intact much longer, because Zuccarello seems destined to be shipped out before the Feb. 25 trade deadline.

It’s a topic that is uncomfortable, but unavoidable — especially now that the trade market is starting to heat up.

“Of course you know about the situation. You’ve heard it,” Zibanejad told The Post after Friday’s practice in Tarrytown, with the first-overall Lightning coming to the Garden for a prime-time matchup Saturday night.

“He’s been the one going through it. Being a close friend of his, we always talk about everything. Obviously that comes up sometimes. But some stuff we can’t control.”

After Zibanejad scored his second career hat trick — and first with the Rangers — on Thursday night in Newark, he was effusive in his praise of Zuccarello, who finished with three assists. It felt like the pro-athlete version of a child begging a parent to let a friend sleep over.

But general manager Jeff Gorton knows Zuccarello is a valuable asset in the midst of this rebuilding process. With 12 points in his past six games, that value continues to rise for the 31-year-old Norwegian. But with an expiring contract, he will fetch a nice return as a rental, which doesn’t necessary exclude a possible return as an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

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“We’ll see what management wants to do,” Zibanejad said. “Everyone wants him here, everyone wants him to stay. I think he wants to be here as well.

“The stuff I’ve said about him is not situational. I’ve said that from the first time I played with him and when I saw him play, as well. So now it’s just to an extreme level, the production side of it. Why would you not want to play with a guy like that when things are working so well, with all three of us?”

The line really has been outstanding, combining for 31 points in the past six games it has been together. (Zuccarello missed the first game back out of the break, Tuesday’s 1-0 home loss to the Flyers, with a foot infection.) The Rangers also have won four of five and five of seven, bridging the 10-day hiatus for the bye week and the All-Star Game.

“It’s very day-to-day for us right now,” Kreider said. “We’re having fun together. So that’s all we’re focused on is trying to play well and help our team win.”

It’s appropriate that the Lightning are coming to town, with so many former Rangers to exemplify the business side of the league.

There are former captains Ryan McDonagh and Ryan Callahan, along with Dan Girardi, J.T. Miller and Anton Stralman. With Derek Stepan in Arizona, the core of those Rangers teams that made deep playoff runs is scattered.

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“It’s a part of it, man,” Kreider said. “I was close with Derek Stepan; Step gets traded. I was close with Ryan McDongah; Ryan McDonagh gets traded. It’s just part of it. It stinks, but it’s part of it.’’ It’s not something we think about, it’s not something we can control. So we try to enjoy each other and win hockey games.”

To their credit, it doesn’t seem like the Rangers have let this affect them too much — especially once Zuccarello had his sit-down with management, cleared his mind, and then started playing some of his best hockey over the past few years. That is also a testament to first-year head coach David Quinn, who sees how tight the group is and remains happy with how they’ve dealt with it.

“Listen, it’s not easy for anybody,” Quinn said. “We’re all human beings and I’m sure that crosses people’s minds from time to time. But I also think that in the midst of a season, day-to-day, practicing, getting ready to play Tampa — I think that stuff is really what guys think about, for the most part. They live in the moment.”

Well, there might not be many more moments left with Zuccarello in the picture — at least not this season. So the Blueshirts’ top line is going to relish them while they can.

“It’s all going to come to an end at some point, sooner or later, for everyone,” Kreider said. “So all you can do is work hard every day and try to enjoy it a little bit along the way.”