Why trading Lafrenière could happen

What to do?

So, what should the Rangers do?  First, there is no need to rush.  Lafrenière has one more season left on this ELC so the Rangers are over a year away from having to make a decision on a contract.  They can explore options with every team in the NHL through the end of this season and over the summer and if Lafrenière can show more growth, it will only enhance his value.

There is one team that would make perfect sense as a trading partner.  Of course, that would be the Montreal Canadiens.   The idea of a potential French-Canadian star coming to Montreal has to have the fan base there salivating.  The Habs haven’t had a native Quebecois star since Patrick Roy and Guy Lafleur and Cedric Paquette is the sole Quebec native on the team.

It would be fitting to reunite Jeff Gorton with the player he picked first in the draft. The question is how much Montreal would be willing to give up to get him.  You can be sure that the Rangers would have an interest in defenseman Alexander Romanov or right wingers Josh Anderson and Cole Caufield or centers Nick Suzuki and Christian Dvorak.

The ultimate irony is though the Rangers lucked out in the lottery two year in a row, if their picks had been reversed they would be in a much better position.  It they had the first pick in 2019 they could have taken center Jack Hughes and then center Quinton Byfield in 2020.  They would be set at the most important position (outside of goal) for the next decade.  Kaapo Kakko still has the potential to be a star, but Lafrenière is stuck in a bad situation.

The bottom line is the Rangers are deep in two positions, left wing and defense.  They are in dire need of help at center and on right wing.  Is there a blockbuster deal to be made?  It’s still doubtful, but Brennan Othmann’s development as a blue ribbon prospect has made it more of a possibility.