The Alexis Lafrenière era starts now

It was a foregone conclusion for the New York Rangers.

From the minute the Hockey Gods smiled down upon them by gifting the New York Rangers the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, they had no doubt over who they were going to select.

It was always Alexis Lafrenière for the Rangers. There was no other choice.

A generational talent and the best player in this year’s Draft class by quite some distance, it was almost as if Lafrenière was made for the Rangers.

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He’s built to flourish under the bright lights of Broadway and, following the Buyout of Henrik Lundqvist, there is a void that needs to be filled when it comes to who will take the mantle as the next face of this storied franchise.

Lafrenière is that guy.

Blessed with an elite skillset, a steely determination and a burning desire to succeed, Lafrenière is perfect for the dog-eat-dog world that is the New York sports market and he’s the perfect candidate to lead this team into what is shaping up to be a bright future.

And, now the pick has been made and the dumb speculation that the No. 1 pick could be traded is finally over, it is time to start gearing up for the Alexis Lafrenière show.

Granted, we may have to wait a while given that the 2020-21 NHL season is currently slated for a January start, although that is of course dependent on what further chaos the COVID-19 pandemic  may cause.

But, when the curtain is eventually pulled on the new season, Lafrenière will be front and center of a Rangers team that will look very different.

There will be no Lundqvist, certain pieces like Jesper Fast could also be gone and there might be a new top-six center or a left-shot defenseman depending on what happens in Free Agency.

As a result, Lafrenière will take center stage and he will be expected to help carry this team to the promised land.

The good news is that the elite talent looks well equipped to lead this franchise for years to come, and he will have help too given that he will be flanked by the likes of Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin.

All of this may sound like hyperbole but ask any hockey expert out there and they will say that Lafrenière is as close to the real thing as anyone who has come before him, maybe outside of Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.

And, when you’ve gone through a barren period as the Rangers have in recent years, you are more than entitled to get a little excited when the next potential superstar falls into your lap.

Tuesday night was just the latest affirmation in a long line that proves the New York Rangers are well on their way back, and Lafrenière is the jewell in the crown on a roster that is on the cusp of competing.

Of course, there is still work to be done but the Rangers’ day is rapidly approaching and the arrival of Alexis Lafrenière has sent the City of New York into fever pitch.

Times Square was lit up in the forward’s honor and this great sporting mecca is ready to fully embrace its next hero.

All that there is left to do now is wait until Alexis Lafrenière can pull on that famous New York Rangers jersey for real and start to make Madison Square Garden his kingdom.

But, for now, Lafrenière is here, he’s a New York Ranger and he’s ours. And that’s something to shout from the highest skyscrapers about.