Alexis Lafreniere joined the New York Rangers in 2020 with all the fanfare and hype reserved for a first overall pick. After dominating his final QMJHL season with 112 points (35 goals, 77 assists) for the Rimouski Océanic in just 53 games played, there were high expectations.
Of course, being drafted by a lottery team that was only two points out of the second wild card spot when the league was forced to shutdown early due to the pandemic, isn’t the typical path for such a prospect.
Since joining the Rangers, Lafreniere’s development has been impeded due to the prowess of veteran left wingers Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider.