The New York Rangers got blessed in back-to-back years when they won the second overall pick in 2019 and the first overall pick in 2020. Those players became Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere. While they haven’t turned into the superstars they were projected to be, they also haven’t gotten a fair opportunity to show what they can do. For Kakko, he looks like he is becoming a more complete player after coming off his best season as a Ranger.
For Lafreniere, his path is still unclear. He is an RFA this summer and if he signs a bridge deal like Kakko and Flip Chytil did after their ELCs expired, the Rangers are going to have him for two more years at a cheap price and they should use that time to help him become a better player.