The Rangers Have a Lafreniere Problem

When the New York Rangers took Alexis Lafreniere with the number one pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, they thought they were getting a generational talent and someone who could make a huge impact on the franchise.

Lafreniere, 24, was a force when he played for Rimouski Quebec in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In three seasons, he had point totals of 80, 105, and 112, and was a threat to score every time he was on the ice.

Things have been much different for Lafreniere when it comes to playing in the NHL. Yes, he has shown brilliance, such as the 2023-24 season when he had career highs in goals (28), assists (29), points (57), shots (217), and was an absolute force in the Stanley Cup playoffs (14 points in 16 games).

After signing a 7-year, 52.15 million contract at the beginning of last season, things have pretty much gone downhill for Lafreniere. For starters, his offense has been inconsistent.

When Lafreniere came out of his shell in 2023-24, his offense was present every game. He put a lot of pucks on the net, he generated a lot of scoring chances, he went to the dirty areas to score goals, and he looked like a man on a mission in both the regular season and postseason.

That seemed to changed when he signed his big deal. His point production went the wrong way last season, as he finished the year with 45 points on 17 goals and 28 assists. His goal total was down, his shot total was down (153), and he was on the ice for more goals against than goals for (-13), which shows that he was not the most responsible player on the ice.

Simply put, he did not look like the player he was the season before and unfortunately for himself and the Rangers, Lafreniere has carried that offensive decline into this season. He currently (As of Tuesday, December 23) has 18 points in 38 games on just seven goals and 11 assists, and is already a -7.

Another problem that Lafreniere has displayed is his poor body language on the ice. Last season, he did not play as physical a brand of hockey as we are used to seeing from him, was not being hard on pucks, was not backchecking consistently, and seemed like a player who simply coasted on the ice.

It appears that Lafreniere has carried that kind of play into this season as well. As mentioned above, he has been on the ice for more goals against than for (-7), he has also picked up where he left off last season by not going hard to the net, not going to the dirty areas to try and score goals, not backchecking hard, and not being consistent in any area of the game.

It also does not help that he has not had consistent linemates. When he was playing his best hockey in 2023-24, he played with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck.

That line dominated all season long as Lafreniere had 57 points, Panarin had 120 points, and Trocheck had 77 points. They were a threat to score every time they were on the ice and they seemed to have the puck the entire time they were on the ice.

Unfortunately for Lafreniere, his linemates have been inconsistent since last season. That could be an explanation as to why his offense has dropped, but it certainly does not explain why the other areas of his game have been trending in the wrong direction.

This is now Lafreniere's sixth season in the NHL. As such, the Rangers should have a pretty good idea on what kind of player Lafreniere is, which right now is someone who is consistent offensively and someone who displays a lack of enthusiasm for other areas of the game.

The team either needs to find a way to get Lafreniere going and be the player he was in 2023-24, or they may need to explore trading him. Trading him should be looked at as a last resort because if they were to trade him, it would be an admission of another failed prospect on Broadway.

Simply put, the Rangers have a Lafreniere problem that needs to be solved sooner rather than later.