The 2025–26 campaign is on pace to be one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory for the New York Rangers. Heading into the Olympic break, the Blueshirts were well on their way to securing elite odds for the No. 1 overall pick. However, the script has flipped since the return from the Olympics, and ironically, it is 2020 No. 1 overall pick Alexis Lafrenière who is leading the charge and actively hurting the team’s odds of picking first overall again.
Lafrenière is playing like a superstar
Fans have every reason to be hesitant about getting their hopes up, but this time, something feels different. The heater Lafrenière is on isn't just a flash in the pan... it’s a level of dominance we haven't quite seen from him before.
Since the Olympic break, Lafrenière has exploded for seven goals and five assists for 12 points in just eight games. That production puts him in elite company, tied for first in the NHL in goals and fourth in total points over that span. New York is 5-1-2 in that stretch with 12 points. As of today, they are in line to pick No. 4 overall, although there's still a decent amount of season left.
Borgs with the shot + Laf tips it in 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Pv2EYx1ROX
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 13, 2026
To drill things down even further, he is currently on track to have the greatest single month of his career. With 11 points through six games in March, Lafrenière is generating offense at a staggering clip of 1.83 points per game. This marks just the fifth time he has tallied double-digit points in a single month, and the second time he’s done so this season.
His previous monthly highs provide the necessary context for how special this run is:
- March 2024: 16 points in 14 games (1.14 P/G)
- January 2026: 12 points in 14 games (0.86 P/G)
- March 2025: 11 points in 15 games (0.73 P/G)
- November 2023: 10 points in 12 games (0.83 P/G)
If Lafrenière wants to set a new all-time personal best, he needs just six points over the Rangers' final 10 games of the month. Given that he has 11 points in his last six, he is well on pace to shatter his previous record of 16.
A breakout that finally looks real
There is every reason to believe this surge is sustainable because it isn't happening in a vacuum as it’s a continuation of the growth he showed before the break. Since the start of the new year, Lafrenière has 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points in 23 games which is second on the team only to Mika Zibanejad. The underlying metrics back up the eye test, too, as he’s posted a 57.28 GF%, a 51.28 CF%, and a 54.32 xGF% in that stretch per Evolving-Hockey.
The Rangers are in an interesting spot. While the roster still needs significant work to truly turn the corner, Lafrenière is busy rewriting his own narrative. He is already up to 19 goals and 44 points in 65 games, putting him on the cusp of surpassing last year’s 45-point total with nearly a month of hockey left to play.
While the Rangers would benefit from another No. 1 overall pick, they will benefit more in the long run if their 2020 No. 1 pick has finally arrived. If Lafrenière can maintain this level of play, he isn't just a part of the future, he becomes the foundation it will be built upon.