New York Rangers Looking for Cap Flexibility: Alexis Lafreniere next on the trade block

Alexis Lafreniere has had one of the biggest struggles as a 1st-rounder we've seen in quite some time. He's struggled to find his game until the 2023-2024 season, where he'd post 57 points (29-28) and surprise us all.

All Peter Laviolette had to do was staple him to a line with Artemi Panarin and Vinnie Trocheck.

He'd soon regress, like the majority of the Rangers in 2024-2025, as the team would lose its juice, and Laviolette would lose his job.

While 45 points isn't a meager sum, for a 1st-overall pick nearly five years into his NHL career, more is expected of him.

But now, the pretext for a trade has arrived, as GM Chris Drury is in the process of turning over the old roster, and it began with Jacob Trouba's exit.

Alexis Lafreniere could be next, as the former 1st OA in 2020 could benefit from a fresh start elsewhere. Fortunately for Drury, he has plenty of selling points for his next team: he's a capable scorer, he can play special teams, and he has a gritty game.

Moving Lafreniere's $7.45 million cap hit would allow him to sign more free agents, and would give him extra cash to go hunt for a superstar with.

Though we haven't quite thought through what this means for the future of the Rangers, as Lafreniere was thought to be a key piece in the team's lineup.

Now, he could be an afterthought and a cap dump, giving him a shot elsewhere and allowing him to flourish on a team not trying to win a Stanley Cup right away.