The New York Rangers are done and ready to put the 2025-26 season behind them. It was a bad year, an awful one in fact, and this summer opens up an opportunity to fix it.
One player that matched a career-high, although it wasn't any bit worthy of calling it a solid season, was Alexis Lafrenière. It was another rough season, but he did find some ground following the Artemi Panarin trade to make up some ground.
At the exit interviews, he spoke on this season and what his plans are for next season. They all made perfect sense.
"You trade some guys and other people have to step up. That's how it is."
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) April 17, 2026
Alexis Lafrenière talks about his increased responsibility after the Rangers' trades: pic.twitter.com/Ey7KAuaTt1
Breakout in year seven?
It is hard to believe that when the 2026-27 season starts in October, Lafrenière will be entering his seventh full season with the Rangers. It feels like it was yesterday that ball flew up the chute and hung their for the entire hockey world to see.
Through six seasons, he has a career-high of 57 points, and notched a career-high in assists with 33 this past year. Not ideal for a first-overall pick that has been given as much opportunity as him with the Rangers.
Not to mention, Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury just paid No. 13 a lucrative deal of $7.45 million AAV for through 2031-32. Lafrenière has to have his real break out, and it has to happen now.
The Rangers are heading into a retooling phase, meaning that changes are coming this summer. Lafrenière is likely going to come out of this summer as one of the first-line wingers, and this is the perfect time for him to show out. The pressure is on him to finally breakout, or else it could be the end of his tenure in New York.
If you want to look at his situation through a positive slant, Lafrenière finished the season with 37 points (16 goals and 21 assists) across his final 40 games played in calendar year 2026. That puts him on a pace of 33 goals, 43 assists, and 76 points over the course of a full season.
This summer is going to be a make-or-break situation for Lafrenière. Can he finally build on his success in the second half and take the leap the Rangers need? He has no excuse not to be the guy going forward now that there's no one ahead of him on the depth chart, but only time will tell if he can fully put it together.
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