Rising NHL salaries prove the Rangers struck gold on Alexis Lafrenière extension

There's been no shortage of young NHL players hitting the lottery this summer, whether it be Leo Carlsson, Trevor Zegras, or Connor Bedard, and while there are still questions about the long-term potential of Alexis Lafrenière, the New York Rangers' decision to extend him when they did keeps on looking better and better.

There's always a fine line to walk in player negotiations, and the Blueshirts have done it perfectly with a player they still see as a potential franchise cornerstone. It was always a deal that was going to benefit the team more than the player, but I don't think Chris Drury realized just how much of a bargain he'd end up getting.

Rangers could have played hardball again with Lafrenière

The first three years of Lafreniere's tenure with the Rangers was pretty underwhelming, and some of that comes down to his overall deployment. New York had a very good roster, filled with wingers, and that resulted in him getting bottom-six minutes to start his career. He put up 21 points in 56 games, 37 points in 79 games, and then 39 points in 81 games before signing a two-year extension with a cap hit of $2.325 million per season.

The first year of Lafrenière second contract saw him get a bump up in minutes (17:16 from 15:13) and he rewarded the Rangers with 28 goals and 57 points including eight goals and 14 points in 16 playoff games. The 2024-25 Blueshirts were a disappointing team, and Lafrenière's production dropped to 17 goals and 45 points. While his drop-off wasn't as stark as some of the veteran on the team (Artemi Panarin went from 120 points to 89 points), it was still a drop in play that the team could have held against him.

Front office saw where things were going in the NHL

Instead of kicking the can down the road, the Rangers made a measured bet by increasing Lafrenière's salary up to $7.45 million a year until he turns 30. It was viewed as a massive risk at the time considering his career high in goals was 28 and points were 57, and many felt the Rangers paid a little more than they should even when taking into consideration was their 2020 No. 1 overall pick was giving up by signing for seven years.

The Rangers knew the salary cap would start go up as things improved post COVID, and then once CBA negotiations were finalized, and the timing of everything has just continued to work in their favor.

Had the Rangers not done the deal when they did, there's every reason to believe Lafrenière would have a deal that is in excess of $10 million per year. Instead, they now have a forward who is the 23rd highest paid left winger in the league and 112th highest paid skater.

Lafrenière's end of season run should inspire confidence

The month of January saw Lafrenière tally a line of 4-8-12 in 14 games, and that is notable because during 30 games played in November and December, No. 13 posted a line of 7-8-15. He followed up January with a goal in three games played in February, a scorching hot March in which he went 9-10-19 in 16 games, and capped it off with 2-3-5 in seven April games.

In calendar year 2026, Lafrenière went 16-21-37 in 40 games played, a massive turnaround from the 20 points he had in his first 42 games. If this is the type of player he's going to be, most of which came out of the shadow of Panarin, the Rangers will have an even bigger bargain on their hands.

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