The New York Rangers have a long history of underachievement from their top draft picks and Alexis Lafreniere. The number one overall pick in 2020 has not yet played to his potential in his first three seasons with the team. His struggles have sparked trade rumors about the 21-year-old winger. But despite the rumors, team president and general manager Chris Drury would be wise to hold on to him and give him another opportunity to prove himself this season.
Lafreniere’s Play With the Rangers
After a rough start as a rookie with just one point in his first 15 games, Lafreniere got stronger and more confident throughout the 2020-21 season. He never shied away from the physicality of the NHL and consistently drove to the front of the net. He ended up with 12 goals and nine assists and played in all 56 games.
The 2021-22 season was similar for Lanfreniere as he started slowly but played better later in the season. He showed flashes of the skill that made him a number one overall pick with a beautiful goal against the Detroit Red Wings. He finished with 19 goals and 12 assists in 79 regular season games.
Lafreniere also had a very strong postseason, and his line, which included Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko, was the Rangers’ most effective one for most of the postseason. Lafreniere had two goals and seven assists in 20 games and helped the team make a run to the Eastern Conference Final.
Related: Rangers’ Gallant Wise to Keep “Kids Line” Together
This year, Lafreniere did not take a step forward in his development and once again struggled early in the season. He still ended up with 16 goals and 23 assists in 81 games. But unlike in 2022, he struggled in the postseason and was held without a point as the rival New Jersey Devils eliminated the Rangers in seven games in their first-round series.
Lafreniere Is Capable of Playing Better
Though Lafreniere has not yet played to his potential, there are still reasons to be optimistic about the young winger. During the 2021-22 regular season, Chytil struggled and finished with just eight goals and 14 assists in 67 games, but the Rangers did not give up on him. He bounced back and played his best hockey that postseason and followed it up by producing 22 goals and 23 assists in 74 games last season.
This offseason, the Rangers parted ways with head coach Gerard Gallant and hired Peter Laviolette. The change may help Lafreniere, who averaged just 14:25 in ice time per game in his first three seasons and rarely got ice time on the man advantage. Just six of his 91 career points have come on the power play.
Lafreniere has some weaknesses, and he needs to improve his skating (which is something his teammate Ryan Lindgren was able to do.) However, the 21-year-old certainly has talent. His skill has come through at times, but he needs to be more consistent and avoid going through extended scoring droughts.
For Lafreniere and the Rangers Moving Forward
Even if Lafreniere does not live up to the hype of a top pick, he can be a really good player for years to come. This season will be crucial for him, and he needs to show improvement. Finishing with 25 goals and 50 points should be a realistic possibility for him.
Given that the Rangers do not have much cap flexibility, it is likely they will lose wingers Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane, who are both unrestricted free agents. This should lead to more ice time for their young forwards, but it also means there will be more pressure on them to produce.
After leaning heavily on veteran forwards Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider, it is now time for young forwards like Lafreniere to step up for the Rangers.
