The New York Rangers made a big move this offseason that holds true to the sentiment of having a retool. President and General Manager Chris Drury really pulled out all the stops this summer, and while the additions to the team should help the team win more games, those already on the roster may feel some extra pressure given the new expectations.
In a shocking draft-night deal with the Vegas Golden Knights, Pavel Dorofeyev was brought to the Blueshirts and then signed for $11 million AAV over the next seven years. This is a pretty heavy investment for a guy who has only hit the mainstream in the past two seasons.
This move pushes a new narrative in the top six, and one particular player is going to feel the pressure the most. That would be Alexis Lafrenière, who is going into a season that is really a put-up-or-move-on season from the Rangers brass, as his $7.45 million AAV deal hits its second season.
Can No. 13 excel with another high-end talent around him, or are shades of the past going to continue to hinder him?
Time is running out, and his replacement is already here
If you were to look at a spectrum regarding Lafrenière's tenure since being selected first overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, between “bust” and “superstar”, he would be in the half closest to “bust”. That is abundantly obvious when comparing him to the other first overall picks before and after him. He stands alone as a less-than-stellar player, and the Rangers are hurting because of it.
He was never touted as a player who would completely revolutionize this franchise, like Nathan MacKinnon with Colorado or Macklin Celebrini with San Jose. But I’m sure the front office is in line with the fans that there should have been something more from No. 13 by now.
By trading for Dorofeyev, the Rangers brass is already bracing for Lafrenière not to step up to the plate in 2026-27. There are also others up-and-comers, such as Liam Greentree and Nathan Aspinall, who are going to be biting at the chance to move up the pipeline to the NHL club this season.
With this many players that are going to be trying to steal his spotlight, Lafrenière has to try and show out next season. Or, he should get U-Haul on speed dial and prepare to lace up his skates in another city.
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