TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — While players such as Adam Fox, Braden Schneider and Vincent Trocheck have found themselves at the center of the recent conversation surrounding the New York Rangers, Alexis Lafrenière has been tiptoeing in the background.
It wasn’t long ago when the 2020 No. 1 draft pick couldn’t escape the attention, but with trade rumors swirling in the lead-up to Friday’s 3 p.m. (ET) deadline, he isn’t being talked about a whole lot.
That seems to be just fine with him.
“I’m just trying to have a strong finish here,” Lafrenière told The Athletic following Wednesday’s practice at the MSG Training Center. “Obviously, the year’s been disappointing, but we still have a decent amount of games left.
“And for me, I’m trying to focus on coming back from the (Olympic) break, the last 25 games, and trying to be happy with my game.”
Like most of the Rangers, Lafrenière hasn’t been particularly happy with his play this season. He’s posted 34 points (13 goals and 21 assists) through 60 games, despite playing exclusively in the top six and receiving a career-high average of 1 minute, 59 seconds of power-play time.
It’s led New York to gauge the 24-year-old winger’s trade market, even though he’s in the first season of a seven-year contract that carries a $7.45 million annual cap hit. That makes him more difficult to move, with the Rangers understandably reluctant to sell low on a player they once had high hopes for.
They’re already lacking skill throughout their lineup and unwilling to trade Lafrenière strictly for futures. It would have to be for another young player they believe has untapped potential — a change-of-scenery swap, if you will — but belief around the league is that’s more of a summer possibility.
Any trade this week is considered unlikely due to his depressed value, but Lafrenière said he hasn’t been offered any assurances one way or the other.
“Not a lot now,” he said when asked if there have been conversations with management to discuss his future. “I just try to play. That’s all I can do here. I’ll keep going like that.”
The uncertainty doesn’t seem to be weighing on him.
The 6-foot-2, 191-pounder has posted a 60.04 percent expected goals-for rate in three games since the break ended, with a couple of points (one goal and one assist) and zero goals against while he’s on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick. He’s generated five individual high-danger scoring chances in that span, which is tied for second on the team, with four coming at five-on-five.
Lafrenière’s underlying numbers for the season are surprisingly solid, with a 54.26 percent xGF that leads all regular New York forwards. However, he’s looked more engaged lately, which he acknowledged feeling, as well.
“You’re on the puck a lot,” he said while discussing the last few games. “You put yourself in good spots on the ice, so when you get it, you have a little bit of time, a little bit of space. Stuff like that. I try to get a lot of touches. That’s when I start to feel good.”
His increased power-play time has helped in that regard. The trade of Artemi Panarin, while difficult to accept — “Losing Bread was hard,” Lafrenière said, noting that they grew close over the course of five and a half years together — has secured him a permanent place on the top PP unit.
Lafrenière has been used at the net front, which he called “a little different” than what he’s used to, but Monday’s upper-body injury to captain J.T. Miller created an opening at the familiar flank position.
Coach Mike Sullivan said they were still toying with how to rearrange the power play — he mentioned surging rookie Gabe Perreault as another possibility to replace Miller — but agreed that Lafrenière has shown a recent uptick.
“When he’s on his game, I think he’s noticeable because he has the puck and he hangs onto the puck, and he puts pressure on our opponents by nature of that, whether it be off the rush or whether it be in zone,” Sullivan said. “Laf has the ability to create offense in different ways. He’s talented, great off the rush. He’s got a really good shot, but he’s also got good size, and he’s strong on the puck.
“He can create down low underneath the hash marks by hanging onto pucks and rolling off the pressure and looking for that next play. Even if we go low to high and he gets to the blue paint, he has the ability to win puck battles or get a stick on a deflection or bang in a rebound. … When Laf is at his best, you notice him in all those areas.”
The Rangers haven’t seen enough of his best across nearly six full seasons, but they’ve had too many instances of trading away once-promising prospects for diminished returns. A fresh start might be just what Lafrenière needs, but at some point, the Rangers need to start fixing their problems.
“Right now, I’m playing for the Rangers and I’m super lucky to be here,” Lafrenière said. “You don’t really look at the future or what’s going to happen. I’m happy to be here, happy to try to help the team win, and that’s pretty much all you can control.”
