Pressure is Mounting On The New York Rangers Former No. 1 Pick

The Rangers went 1-5 in the preseason, and the Quebec Native winger received a large chunk of the blame, playing in four of the six games and mustering only a single assist, with a plus/minus of -4, also looking a little dazed and confused on certain defensive assignments.

Some are insinuating whether he might not last long as a Blueshirt, especially if at the start of the season, he comes out flat.

Aside from maybe one player on that list, the rest are considered draft busts, but all are viewed as disappointments when judged by the expectations of being a No. 1 pick for their team.

I do believe it is too early to call Lafrenière a draft bust, and something that has gotten overlooked is his performance, despite marginally, has improved year after year since he joined the NHL.

During Alexis Lafreniere's rookie season in 2020-2021, he played 56 games, producing 12 goals and 21 points total.

His sophomore campaign of 2021-2022, produced 19 goals and 31 points total in 79 games, and last season, while playing in 81 games, scored 16 goals and 39 points total.

There has been improvement and an upward trend in his production, and has been available in 216, out of a possible 220 regular season games (2020-2021 was shortened to 56 games due to Covid-19).

There's no doubt the kid is feeling the pressure. This will be a make-or-break season for Alexis Lafreniere.

For both the organization, the Rangers faithful, and maybe for himself. He's talented enough to rise up to the challenge and live up to expectations.

He will have his chance to silence doubters after his 22nd birthday in the October 12 opener against the Buffalo Sabres, at the KeyBank Center, in Buffalo.