For several years, forward Alexis Lafreniere has teased New York Rangers fans with his talent.
Lafreniere, considered a blue-chip, can’t-miss prospect while dominating with the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic, was eventually drafted with much fanfare and lofty expectations, first overall in the 2020 NHL draft by the Rangers.
During his first six seasons, this now 24-year-old had some strong stretches where his immense talent was on display, but he also struggled, especially in his earlier years with inconsistency, which led to the occasional benching or even being a healthy scratch. Despite having so much promise and being young, Lafreniere’s name has, during his Rangers tenure, been mentioned in trade rumours.
It wouldn’t be until spring of 2022, when Lafreniere went from playing on the third line to getting more ice time and responsibility during the Stanley Cup Playoffs on a unit with Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko on what affectionately was dubbed “The Kid Line.”
Those playoffs saw Lafreniere display his offensive flair as he thrilled Rangers fans by scoring nine points (two goals and seven assists) in 20 playoff games.
A couple of years later, Lafreniere, who at this time was playing on a line with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, broke through and took a big step forward when, in the 2023-24 season, he enjoyed a career-best 28 goals and 57 points along with 40 PIM.
His finest four that season came on March 30, 2024, when Lafreniere accomplished a first in scoring his first-ever career hat trick and first five-point game, which came in an eventual 8-5 win against the Arizona Coyotes.
Later on that spring, Lafreniere continued to tease the Rangers fans with his potential as he scored eight goals and had 14 points in 16 playoff games.
Unfortunately for Rangers fans, Lafreniere’s inconsistency reared its ugly head when, in the 2024-25 season, his statistics dropped to only 17 goals and 45 points, which obviously is a concerning drop from the 57 points of a year prior.
Last season, Lafreniere got off to a slow start but a red-hot second half, which saw him score 19 points (nine goals and 10 assists) in March along with four PIM and a plus/minus of +7 to finish with 24 goals and 57 points on the year, which of course equalled his career high.
No doubt, if the Rangers are to rebound from last year and enjoy this spring a long playoff ride, they need Lafreniere to have that breakthrough 80 to 90-point player who can play a solid all-around game.
Rangers Counting On Forward Alexis Lafreniere To Take That Next Step
Lafreniere Gets Off to a Hot Start
Looking to bounce back from a non-playoff 77-point campaign, the Rangers have this year gotten off to a fast 4-2 start, which has seen Lafreniere already register six points (four goals, two assists) while averaging 19:08 of ice time per game.
So far, his biggest moment of the year came on Tuesday, October 6th, when at Madison Square Garden, Lafreniere had a night to remember as he scored a hat trick and finished with four points in a 5-2 win against their cross-town rivals, the New York Islanders.
Lafreniere, who now has three hat tricks in his career, drew a first-period assist on the game’s opening goal from Oliver Bjorkstrand’s first of the season.
This talented left winger got on the board with his first of three 25 seconds into the second period with his first goal of the year, which extended the Rangers’ lead to 2-0.
In the third, Lafreniere, with less than two minutes remaining in regulation, scored consecutive empty-net goals 32 seconds apart to clinch the Rangers’ fourth win in a row.
A big sign of Lafreniere’s growth was that he was on the ice late in regulation looking to protect a one-goal lead.
The Rangers, who were shut out to begin the season by a 3-0 score against the Boston Bruins, rallied to pull off victories against the Tampa Bay Lightning (5-1), Detroit Red Wings (2-0), Utah Mammoth (4-2) and, of course, the Islanders before losing by a 3-1 score against the Washington Capitals.
In terms of his fast start and individual goals for the season, Lafreniere stated, “I don’t have any numbers or anything. I try to keep playing better, keep working on my game, both sides of the puck, and being a more complete player.”
Found Late Season Chemistry On Line With Perreault and Zibanejad
As mentioned earlier, consistency has always been an issue with Lafreniere. He can go through stretches where he gets on a serious roll and showcases his great talent, which made him a first overall pick, or can disappear for a stretch of games.
Last season, Lafreniere was frequently criticized by media and fans alike after totaling only 32 points in the Rangers’ first 57 games. After the Olympic break, that criticism disappeared as it was a different Lafreniere who hit the ice and finished second in Rangers scoring the final 25 regular season games where he scored 12 goals and 25 points.
Starting on March 5, 2026, Lafreniere’s game took off when he was inserted on the Rangers’ top line with another young up-and-comer in Gabe Perreault and veteran Mika Zibanejad, which right away started to produce.
“We understand each other out there,” Lafreniere said. “It’s good for me and Gabe to have a guy like Mika to kind of help us. He’s 1,000 games in (his NHL career), and an elite player in the league. We’re trying to play as a group, and the chemistry is big.”
Needless to say, this line has stayed intact this season, and so far, Perreault has produced four points (two goals and two assists) along with a plus/minus of +2, while Zibanejad has five points (one goal and four assists) along with a plus/minus of +4.
Without question, if the Rangers want to rebound and make the playoffs and go on a deep run, they need Lafreniere to not only take that next step and score in the range of 80-90 points but, of course, play a solid all-around game while providing that veteran leadership. The Rangers’ success depends on his play.
Main Image: Danny Wild-Imagn Images
