The New York Rangers’ 2022-23 season came to a disappointing end with a loss in the first round of the postseason. A lot of the players who helped them make a run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2021-22 struggled last postseason, including Alexis Lafreniere. The 22-year-old winger also struggled this preseason, was heavily criticized and trade rumors began to circulate.
Now, with the Rangers missing key players Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, and Filip Chytil, Lafreniere is rising to the occasion and he is establishing himself as an important top-six forward.
Lafreniere’s Play This Season
Though Lafreniere is used to playing left wing, head coach Peter Laviolette opted to play him on the right side on the team’s second line with Chytil and Artemi Panarin. With Chytil out injured, Vincent Trocheck has stepped in at center.
Related: Rangers Will Give Peter Laviolette His Toughest Challenge
While most of the Rangers’ lines have struggled to generate offense at even strength, the second line has been an exception as they have consistently created scoring chances and scored timely goals. Panarin and Lafreniere have quickly formed chemistry. In the regular-season opener on Oct. 12, Panarin got his own rebound and set up Lafreniere for the first goal in a 5-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.
Lafreniere has consistently driven to the net while also showing an ability to finish, which made him a top draft pick. In a 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings, he picked a defenseman’s pocket and set up Panarin for what turned out to be the game-winning goal. In his last four games, he has three goals and four assists and, in total, he has seven goals and four assists in 14 games.
With the team missing key players for their matchup against the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 9, Lafreniere stepped up. He scored the game-winning goal early in the third period after a nice pass from Panarin on an odd-man rush and also had two assists. On Nov. 12 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, he once again scored a go-ahead goal, this time off a nice pass from Trocheck on a 2-on-1. With the goalie pulled, he scored from a tough angle with 11 seconds left to send the game into overtime. He then scored a shootout goal with a slick backhand to lift the Rangers to a 4-3 victory.
Lafreniere’s Role With the Rangers
Despite the team’s hopes that Lafreniere would develop into a franchise player after picking him first overall in 2020, he rarely got a shot in the top six or on the first power-play unit. This was partly because he played left wing and the team already had two star left wingers in Panarin and Chris Kreider.
In 230 career games, Lafreniere has 54 goals and 48 assists, with just eight of his 102 career points coming on the power play. At times during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, his “Kid Line,” which included Chytil and Kaapo Kakko, was the team’s most impressive one.
This season Lafreniere is once again playing on the team’s scarcely used second power-play unit but he is getting much more ice time while he’s on the team’s second line. He’s averaging 16:32 in ice time per game after averaging just over 14 minutes per game combined in his first three seasons. On a line with playmakers, he is showing he can finish when he gets scoring chances. Though he is not a fast skater, he has been effective on the forecheck and constantly goes to the front of the net.
For Lafreniere and the Rangers Moving Forward
The Rangers are off to an excellent 11-2-1 start to this season but early-season injuries are forcing them to deal with adversity. Lafreniere has stepped up early on and he is proving that he is capable of taking on increased responsibility this season. After facing a lot of criticism during the offseason, he is playing at a very high level right now and the team will need him to keep up his strong play, especially with some of their most reliable players out injured.
