New York Rangers former first-over draft pick named as prime bounce-back candidate
Photo credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
NHL Insider Michael DeRosa of The Hockey News penned a piece today that was cautiously optimistic about Alexis Lafreniere. The former 1st overall pick in 2020 has been picked as a bounce-back candidate by DeRosa, and with Mike Sullivan in charge, it could happen.
The 2024-25 season for the Rangers was forgettable for everyone involved.
Peter Laviolette would be fired, and there would be a mass exodus of talent through trades and free agency. General Manager Chris Drury would continue his plan to build the team into contenders by hiring Mike Sullivan.
One player who needs to thrive after a poor outing in 2024-25 is Alexis Lafreniere. Lafreniere followed up his 29-goal, 57-point season with a decline in production. Only scoring 17-28-45 last season as a top-six forward.
Troubling news for someone who was supposed to have higher upside.
The New York Rangers need Alexis Lafreniere at his best
The Rangers finished 5th in the Metropolitan Division, a division that they dominated a year beforehand.
With a 39-36-7 record, they need to learn from their mistakes. For Lafreniere, it will be a chance to prove that he is worth every penny of that new deal he signed that pays him $52.15 million over the next seven years.
He's shown flashes of his brilliance and the capability of playing up to his potential, but it's only been one season where he scored 57 points in 82 games.
Lafreniere has new leadership to help guide him through the rough patch he's seen recently with Mike Sullivan.
It depends on how Sullivan thinks he could best utilize Lafreniere's talents, as he's capable of producing on the power play and has established himself on the same line as Artemi Panarin and Vinnie Trocheck.
He'll need to recall his 2023-24 season and find a way to bounce back and be the player we all know he can be.
Previously on NY Rangers Insider
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