Friedman Reveals Alexis Lafreniere's Future is in Jeopardy

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Tom Banks
August 24, 2023 (7:01 PM)

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After being drafted No. 1 overall back in the 2020 NHL Draft, Alexis Lafreniere has been a let down thus far in his Rangers career, and 2023-24 may be his final chance in The Big Apple.

Moving on?

According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, the deal that Lafreniere signed on Wednesday comes with some big conditions in the eyes of the Rangers front office.

Everybody is kind of in a position where they're saying, look, we're going to try this under a new coach, see where it goes if it's not good next summer then I think you can move him at a number that I think teams can handle because I just think if it's another year likes this they're probably going to have to move on. To me it's a 2-yr deal, but it's a 1-yr deal in New York and then we will see.

The deal may be two-years at $2.35 AAV, but according to Friedman, if he doesn't pick it up under a new coach this season, he could be on his way out next summer.

A slow start

When he was drafted back in 2020, Lafreniere was expected to be a generational talent that the Rangers built around for years, but unfortunately, his inconsistent time in the top-six has led to a major let down.

In 216 career games, Lafreniere has scored just 47 goals and 91 points, and while he's shown flashes, the consistency just hasn't been there, so it appears 2023-24 is now a prove it year for the 21-year old.

As Read on MarkerZone - Friedman Makes Major Statement Regarding Alexis Lafreniere's Future in New York