2023 Needs To Be A Big Year For Alexis Lafreniere

As we enter the new year, the New York Rangers are on the outside looking in when it comes to a playoff position in the Eastern Conference. While they are tied with the Islanders and Penguins in points, both teams ahead have more wins and have played fewer games. In order for the Rangers to make the playoffs in 2023, they need the entire team to play at their top level.

One player to keep an eye on in the early part of 2023 is Alexis Lafreniere. After being scratched, he will have a lot to prove as he looks to improve his game going into a contract year.

Entering his third year in the NHL, higher expectations were placed on Lafreniere as it was expected he would be playing a bigger role on the Rangers this season. He started on a line with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, but as the season went on and the team was not clicking, he was put back with the two players he had the most success with, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko.

The “Kid Line” was reunited and they were playing well together. But now, things have changed once again.

After the team returned from the Christmas break, they played a terrible game against the Capitals in an important division matchup. Gerard Gallant was not happy with the team as he referred to their performance as “garbage”. To send a message to both the team and the player, Lafreniere was scratched against Tampa Bay as the coach wanted to see more consistency out of him. As he looks to get back into the lineup against the Panthers, Lafreniere will look to silence those who doubt him and will look to turn this season around.

He currently has 17 points in 36 games played. While these numbers are not exciting, only scoring 5 goals so far is also a troubling sign of inconsistency. He scored 19 goals last season and many thought that this season, he could score even more. Many will argue that his lack of power-play time and the consistent line juggling are not helping him gain any confidence and chemistry with his linemates. Both sides have their fair share of evidence, but the only thing that is for sure is that Lafreniere needs to step it up in 2023.

He is in the final year of his ELC and will be looking for a raise as the season comes to an end. If Lafreniere wants a significant pay increase, he will need to play like a player who is worth it. If he continues to play at a below-average level, his future of him as a Ranger will get more cloudy with each passing day. That is why the rest of this season is so important for Lafreniere. He is playing for money and his future as a New York Ranger.