The New York Rangers have yet to make a big move this offseason, while the rest of the NHL moves at a frantic pace. The Rangers and general manager Chris Drury are trying to "retool" the roster, instead of going for a full-on rebuild. The expectation is that the Rangers will trade away center Vincent Trocheck in an effort to get draft capital and a young, pro-ready player to help them out immediately.
One name that has come up in trade rumors is Alexis Lafreniere, their top line winger and 2020 first-overall pick. Lafreniere's name is popping up as a name other teams are interested in, and with Drury trying to find a big move to make to help them immediately, it had fans wondering if Lafreniere would be part of a trade package to help with that.
The Athletic's Peter Baugh and Vince Mercogliano touched on a variety of Rangers news in a recent article. When discussing Lafreniere, the two said that the expectation is that the forward is expected to remain with the team heading into net season. While the Rangers have listened to offers, they won't move Lafreniere unless they are "blown away" by an offer.
Rangers expected to keep Alexis Lafreniere heading into 2026-27 season
"The expectation is that Alexis Lafrenière will remain with the team heading into next season, according to two league sources (who, as with the rest in this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes matters)," write Baugh and Mercogliano. "The Rangers have been listening to trade offers but are not actively shopping the 24-year-old winger and plan to keep him unless they get blown away."
It was always difficult seeing the Rangers giving up Lafreniere in a trade, unless it was for a bonafide superstar. Given that the Rangers were not on the trade wishlists for Brady Tkachuk or Dylan Larkin, that about rules them out for a legitimate superstar and difference maker. It goes to show just how far the Rangers have to go to turn themselves back into a premier destination for the top players across the league.
Lafreniere has had a bit of a roller coaster run with the Rangers since entering the league in 2020. He never panned out to be a legitimate superstar, but showed promise as a top six forward. In the 2023-24 season, Lafreniere put up 28 goals and 29 assists. After that campaign, the Rangers rewarded Lafreniere with a seven-year, $52.15 million contract extension.
This past season, Lafreniere had a rough start to this past season, but he rebounded after the Olympic break, scoring 12 goals and recording 13 assists in the final 25 games. Plus, he showed chemistry with Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault on New York's top line. Even during a lost season, Rangers fans entered the offseason knowing that they had their top line set.
Barring anything crazy happening this offseason (and it has been crazy thus far) expect Lafreniere to be on the roster by the time Opening Night rolls around.
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