Which Rangers Skaters Will Have Bigger Roles Next Season?

Alexis Lafreniere (PP1)

Alexis Lafreniere, the 2020 first-overall pick, has arrived. If we all made decisions in the preseason, Lafreniere would be on the trading block and Kakko would be on the first line.

Ten months later, the 22-year-old forward turned into a star, catalyzing the best five-on-five scoring line in the NHL, and scored eight goals in the playoffs. The Quebec native made the case to earn a position on the first power play unit.

" He's been an impact player for us all season," Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette told the media on Tuesday. "We'd like to see that build next year as he takes on more responsibility and looks to grow from this year,"

Although it was a recurring question all season, it magnified as the Ranger's powerplay crumbled against the Florida Panthers, scoring just 12 power play goals on 50 opportunities in 16 playoff games.

We could see Alexis Lafreniere on the Rangers' first powerplay unit next season. Outside of swapping Ryan Strome for Vincent Trocheck and Erik Gustafsson's quarterbacking amidst Adam Fox's placed on LTIR stint, no change has been made to the unit since 2021.

Who he should replace is a different story, as the fivesome consists of the highest-paid forwards on the roster. That is also the case with the top six, where the next player may slot in the one open position come October.