When the Rangers selected Alexis Lafreniere #1 overall in 2020, it was seen as a launching point for a franchise in a rebuild. With top-two picks in two straight years to go with the established elite talent and a top farm system, the team was ready to transition from rebuild to contention, at least in the eyes of ownership. Lafreniere was at the heart of that transition, expected to be a top line producer.
Through three seasons, Lafreniere has underwhelmed, with rumblings of off-ice training and skating being at the center of many fans’ displeasure.