The Rangers Must Keep Alexis Lafrenière in the Driver’s Seat
The Rangers finally handed the reins over to Alexis Lafrenière, and taking them back would be a mistake.
When a team is fortunate enough to draft first overall, the organization usually puts their newfound player right in the driver's seat. They immediately get top line minutes, time on the first power play unit, and the freedom to play the brand of hockey that got them drafted so high. While these players often have growing pains, coaches understand that is part of the development process.
This was not the case for Alexis Lafrenière.
For years, Lafrenière was consistently placed on the third line without time on the team's top power play unit. Instead of allowing him to play top minutes in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack, that was the route the Rangers went. It took until the arrival of former head coach Peter Laviolette for Lafrenière to crack the top six, and even then, he almost exclusively played on the second power-play unit.
It took until Lafrenière's fifth season for the team to give him an opportunity to play on the top line and top power play unit. Once Artemi Panarin was traded, the Rangers ran out of players to turn to, which forced Lafrenière into the position he is now. Since then, fans have been treated to the player more closely resembling the one they thought they were getting when he was drafted first overall in 2020.
