When Alexis Lafrenière was drafted first overall to the New York Rangers in 2020, people in New York seemed to expect him to turn into an instant superstar. But when that didn’t happen. People inside the hockey community started to toss around the “bust” label. However, over the last few seasons, fans have gotten a chance to see how his game has evolved; Lafreniere has proven he is still a cornerstone talent worth building around.
Early in his career, the hurdle was never skill; it was opportunity. He was stuck behind established stars and wasn’t able to get power-play time; Lafrenière was left to try and make the most at even strength, which is never easy. That said, it did force him to build a complete game. He became known as a good secondary scoring option, but not the future star that he was expected to be.
Lafrenière showed great promise at the end of the 2025-26 season
He did, however, show promise that he could reach that level. The turning point came down the final stretch of the 2025-26 season. The Rangers traded Artemi Panarin, which gave Lafrenière a spot in the top-six role alongside Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault, and they built instant chemistry. He put up 14 goals and 28 points over his final 29 games, ending the year with 57 points. It was more than just stats; he proved he could help drive a line and carry the offensive load when his team needed him most.
Now, at 24 years old, Lafrenière is just entering his prime and is locked in on a long-term contract through 2032. Which gives the Rangers time to see what level he can get to while they continue their rebuild around him.
Unfortunately, not all first overall picks have the same path. Some of them have a rocky road, and it takes time for them to reach a certain level of stardom. In Lafrenière’s case, if what we saw at the end of the 2025-26 season is any indication, we could be looking at a breakout season for him in the 2026-27 season.
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