Should The Habs Bring Lafreniere Back Home?

There is no denying that Lafreniere’s career hasn’t gone nearly as well as many expected after 6 years in the league, considering he is coming off tying his career-high of 57 points during the 2025-26 campaign, which is a solid amount for a 2nd liner but not great for a guy that was expected to be a star after being drafted 1st overall in 2020. While it’s possible that he got hyped up a little too much as an NHL prospect, the real issue is that Lafreniere was never developed properly as a player, as he and 2019 2nd overall pick Kaapo Kakko were stuck playing on the 3rd line for most of their development years. Eventually, Kakko got sent to the Seattle Kraken, where his game has since improved. With that being said, a better player than Kakko like Lafreniere should produce more elsewhere as well.

At just 24 years old, Lafreniere still has time to develop his game elsewhere and can be a great asset for the Canadiens to pick up to fit both within the core of players that are in his age group and the missing winger in the top 6. It is very clear the Habs are missing a 2nd line centre, but they could also use a big winger that does a bit of everything out on the ice. Despite his struggles at times to get ice time with the Rangers, he has shown that he can do that with his heavy shot and checking ability. In fact, his body checking may be one of the most underrated parts of his game. This past season, the Rangers forward had just 84 hits, but he has shown he can regularly get over 100+ hits over an 82-game season, so if put in a role that requires more checks, he could easily top 100.

Lafreniere could be the perfect fit next to Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, as he can help give them more room on the ice by going into the corners and winning pucks. Not to mention it would allow Juraj Slafkovsky to slide down to the 2nd line, where he could resume his great chemistry with Ivan Demidov. Or the Habs could put Lafreniere with Demidov if they want to keep Slafkovsky at the top with Suzuki and Caufield. Either way, it would allow the Habs to have a power forward winger on both top 2 lines, which can benefit the team greatly.

Some might see that Lafreniere will have a lot of pressure of becoming a French Canadian star in Montreal, where he could struggle similarly to Jonathan Drouin, but unlike Drouin, Lafreniere actually already plays on a team with a lot of heavy scrutiny, which can help prepare him for what would be to come if he were traded to Montreal. Another factor is he’s already faced the pressure in the province when he was the top prospect for the entire 2019-20 campaign. The good news is that there is a fit for Lafreniere as a scoring power forward that would benefit his game greatly. Hopefully, he wouldn’t let that pressure that many media members would put on him affect him that much.

Considering he’s played 6 years in the NHL, the chances that he ever reaches his initial ceiling of a power forward that can produce over a point per game seem slim but not impossible. However, for the current contract he has, even if he maxes out as a 30-goal and 65-point scorer, that would be well worth his salary. Lafreniere currently has 6 years left on a deal that will take him to age 30, where he will make $7.45 million a season. It might seem like a lot now, but as the cap goes up, that salary will be good for a potential 60-point player.

As for what a potential trade would look like for him, we may see a situation where the Habs could trade defenseman Kaiden Guhle, prospect Owen Beck, and a 2nd round pick for Lafreniere, which should be enough to make it go through. While it seems like Guhle is a part of the Habs core group, there is the chance that the Canadiens move him if the right player comes along, as it seems like Mike Matheson and Lane Hutson are the top 2 left defensemen going forward in the near future. The reality is that the Rangers could use a young shutdown defenseman like Guhle to help in their rebuild. Therefore, the Habs getting Lafreniere and the Rangers getting a package centred around Guhle could work well with both teams. Getting Lafreniere seems like a good idea as long as once again Michael Hage isn’t in the deal.

How would you feel if the Canadiens made a trade for Alexis Lafreniere?