The New York Rangers have made it official, they are beginning the process of a "retool."
General manager Chris Drury sent out a letter last week letting fans know they won't make trades to push for a playoff spot as they sank to last place in the Eastern Conference. Instead, Drury will look to trade away certain players on the roster to bring in younger players and draft picks.
As part of that, the Rangers let it be known that they will explore trades involving Artemi Panarin, as they have pulled the plug on contract extension talks. Panarin does have a no-move clause, so he has a say in where he'd get traded. There is also the potential Vincent Trocheck gets moved. It sounds like the Rangers are open to moving on from another player.
The Fourth Period NHL insider David Pagnotta noted this past Saturday that he would not be surprised if the Rangers listened on trades for 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere.
“I believe there’s a willingness to explore a big hockey trade involving Alexis Lafreniere,” said Pagnotta, h/t Sportsnet.
Rangers appear open to trading Alexis Lafreniere as part of 'retool'
It's truly ironic that Lafreniere could be moved as part of this "retool" after his selection in 2020 effectively meant the end of that rebuild. The Rangers looked to get younger years ago, and they ended up with Kaapo Kakko and Lafreniere with two top picks in back-to-back years. These two players were supposed to be the faces of the Rangers franchise and play pivotal roles in their contention.
Unfortunately, neither have panned out the way fans have expected. Kakko was ultimately traded last season to the Seattle Kraken. Now, it appears, the Rangers are entertaining moving on from Lafreniere.
Back during the 2023-24 season, Rangers fans felt they might have seen what Lafreniere was capable of after scoring 28 goals and recording 29 assists for 57 points through 82 games. It felt like it was the start of Lafreniere reaching his true potential. The Rangers felt that way too, as they signed him to a seven-year, $52.15 million contract extension. Since then, his production dropped, as he produced just 45 points in 82 games during the 2024-25 season. This season has been no better.
There was a glimmer of hope as of late, especially during that three point Winter Classic performance against the Florida Panthers. But the frustration continued. After a flub that cost the Rangers a comeback chance against the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 8, Lafreniere was called out by head coach Mike Sullivan and demoted to the third line in ensuing games.
Look, Lafreniere showed he could be a solid, near-60 point player. The problem is, he only got near that once in his six years with the Rangers. Maybe a change of scenery could work wonders for him. Maybe new voices in his ears could help unlock his potential. All it takes is one team to make the right offer. Drury and the Rangers are at least exploring that possibility. The lead-up to the March 6 trade deadline is going to be interesting.