The New York Rangers are going to look a bit different after March 6. That date is the NHL trade deadline, and the Rangers have let their fans and the league know that they won't be pursuing players to make a playoff push. instead, they are "retooling" the roster to bring in younger players and additional draft picks. That means some integral players could be on the move.
Artemi Panarin is the name with the most buzz surrounding him, considering the team ended contract negotiations with him. Other players could be on the move as well. One of them very well could be former No. 1 overall pick Alexis Lafreniere.
The Rangers entered a rebuild back in 2018 after their former Stanley Cup contending team got older. It was dubbed the fasted rebuild ever since the Rangers had lottery luck, one of them being Lafreniere in 2020. Besides one good season, Lafreniere has failed to live up to his draft slot, and it's ony amplified when looking at how other No. 1 picks are performing in the league. Now, it appears the Rangers are at least open to exploring dealing Lafreniere away.
Lafreniere spoke with The Athletic's Peter Baugh (subscription required) about his uncertain future in New York. The forward said the only thing he can do is continue playing, as he doesn't have an inkling as to whether he will stay with the team or be moved elsewhere.
Alexis Lafreniere focusing on hockey as Rangers future is up in the air
“It always sucks losing guys, teammates, friends, but that’s the business,” Lafreniere told Baugh. “We’ll see what happens. All we can do is really just play hockey and try to win games.”
Drury has committed to trying to build a younger, sustainable team with the chance to contend for the Stanley Cup in the future. It's unknown what players besides Panarin he will ultimately deal. What we do know is the likes of Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad, and J.T. Miller are expected to remain with the team.
Lafreniere told Baugh that he hadn't had a meeting with Drury ever since he unveiled the letter to fans last week.
Lafreniere hasn't lived up to the high expectations that comes with the No. 1 pick. Lafreniere had his best year in the 2023-24 season, where he scored 28 goals and recorded 29 assists for a total of 57 points. At the start of the following campaign, the Rangers rewarded him with a seven-year, $51.25 million contract extension. Since then, his production dropped off, especially in this current season. Lafreniere has just 10 goals and 18 assists to his credit through 51 games.
If Lafreniere were to remain with the Rangers, his outlook is essentially as a bottom six forward. Maybe, he can turn things around on another team. You can't rule out the possibility of a team still believing in his upside or a coach having an idea of how to fix his flaws. The thing is, what kind of value would the Rangers get in return? Let's not forget, he is in the first year of his seven-year contract extension. That's a lengthy commitment for a player that may or may not turn things around. Drury and the Rangers may have no choice but to keep Lafreniere around if they take falls from other teams and don't get the return value they deem is acceptable.
The Rangers have over a month to figure out who shoud stay and who should go by the trade deadline. For Lafreniere, he's going to continue playing with the team until he hears otherwise.