Going into this season, there was a lot of pressure put on New York Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere.
Since being drafted as the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Lafreniere, 22, had yet to truly live up to the expectations placed on him. Sure, he showed flashes of brilliance in his first three seasons on Broadway, but he certainly did not look anywhere near like a first overall pick should look.
When he struggled in the preseason, Rangers fans continued to express their frustration and were ready to label him a bust, myself included. There is no doubt that some of that was more than warranted, but on the other hand, I think that both Rangers fans and myself forgot just how young he still is.
Do not look now, the man Ranger fans call “Laffy” looks like a completely different hockey player 13 games into this season. He is currently (As of Friday, November 10th) sixth on the team in scoring with nine points on five goals and four assists.
Three of those nine points came on Thursday night, November 9th at Madison Square Garden the Rangers beat the Minnesota Wild by a score of 4-1. It may have been Lafreniere’s best game as a Blueshirt.
In that game, he had a goal and two assists, four shots on goal, was a +/- + 2 and his goal turned out to be the game-winning goal. He was a threat every time he was on the ice with his linemates Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck.
There are a few reasons why Laffy has been having success early on this season. For starters, he is playing with highly skilled players.
Lafreniere is a highly skilled player. He can dangle with the puck, he has a good shot when he uses it, and he can set up his teammates as long as they can get into a good position on the ice.
This season, Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette is using him in the top six on the team’s second line. He started the season playing with Filip Chytil and Panarin and then once Chytil went down with an injury, Trocheck slotted in and Lafreniere continued to be a mainstay on that line.
He is showing that when he is put with good players, he can produce, especially at five-on-five. Four of his five goals have come at even strength this season.
Secondly, it is clear that Lafreniere is playing with a lot more confidence this season than in years past. A lot of that has to do with Laviolette giving him a great opportunity and some of that has to do with Lafreniere’s abilities themselves.
By playing with players who also have natural offensive instincts, Lafreniere has been able to play a style of game that is true to who he is. As mentioned above, he has a lot of offensive talent, so when he plays with players with similar abilities, he is able to make more plays and produce, which feeds into his confidence level.
Lastly, it is clear that he is having a lot of fun this season. Every time he is on the ice whether it be in a game or during a practice, he has a smile on his face.
It also does not hurt that the Rangers are currently one of the best teams in the league. As of this writing, the Blueshirts are first in the Metropolitan Division and fourth in the league with a 10-2-0-1 record for 21 points, and Lafreniere has been a key contributor to several of the team’s victories to start the season.
It is still early on, but if he continues to play this way and Laviolette continues to put him in a position where he can succeed, big things could be coming for Lafreniere.
