Rangers Need Consistency From Alexis Lafreniere This Season

During Alexis Lafreniere’s six seasons with the New York Rangers, he has had some great hot streaks, but he has also had a lot of cold stretches. Last season, he struggled early on but played well on a new line in the second half to end the season on a high note. He will be a key player as the team looks to make the postseason for the first time since 2023-24, and they need him to be more consistent this season.

Inconsistent Play Throughout Career

Expectations were extremely high for Lafreniere when the Rangers drafted him first overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, but he spent most of his first few seasons on the third line and the scarcely used second power-play unit. He did show promise and played better once he was moved onto a line with fellow young forwards Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. He had 91 points in 216 games in his first three seasons.

In 2023-24, Lafreniere was moved to play on a line alongside Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, and he broke out for 28 goals and 29 assists in 82 games, despite rarely getting power-play opportunities. He did a great job on zone entries and looked confident holding onto the puck and making plays in the offensive zone. He played even better in the postseason and had eight goals and six assists in 15 games, including a highlight-reel goal against the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final.