The New York Rangers did not make any major moves at the 2026 Trade Deadline, but they did make a big move just before the Winter Olympic break as they traded star winger Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for prospect Liam Greentree and a third-round pick. Since the trade, Alexis Lafreniere, who spent much of the last three seasons on a line with Panarin, has stepped up.
Lafreniere Has Had Highs and Lows With the Rangers
The Rangers drafted Lafreniere first overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, and he spent his first few seasons in a bottom-six role and rarely played on power plays, but had success on the team’s third line with fellow young forwards Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil. He finished with 12 goals and nine assists for 21 poinnts in 56 games in 2020-21, 19 goals and 12 assists for 31 points in 79 games in 2021-22, and 16 goals and 23 assists for 39 points in 81 games in 2022-23.
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In 2023-24, Lafreniere got an extended opportunity to play a bigger role on a line with Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, and he made the most of it, breaking through offensively. Though he still played on the Rangers’ rarely-used second power-play unit, he was excellent at even strength and generated lots of scoring chances. He finished the regular season with career highs in goals (28) and assists (29).
Lafreniere played even better in the postseason and had eight goals and six assists in 16 games, including a beautiful goal on a toe drag in a 5-4 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. Though Panarin did not produce as much offensively as he did in the regular season, Lafreniere and Trocheck both stepped up and played their best in the playoffs.
Both the Rangers and Lafreniere entered last season with high expectations, but the team struggled defensively and he failed to produce offensively the way he did in 2023-24. He got off to a strong start with eight goals and eight assists in 19 games and signed a seven-season extension with New York. However, he only had nine goals and 20 assists in 63 games for the rest of the season, and the team finished well out of playoff position.
Lafreniere’s Play This Season
Though he has never been known for his defensive play, Lafreniere has consistently made an effort to backcheck and make responsible plays with and without the puck this season. However, the Rangers struggled offensively, and he once again did not produce the way he did in 2023-24 for most of this season. He had 10 goals and 19 assists in his first 53 games despite playing with Panarin and Trocheck.
Panarin played his final game with the Rangers on Jan. 26, and since then, Lafreniere has looked more confident with the puck and has started creating more scoring chances, with two goals and an assist in four games without Panarin heading into the Olympic break. Since the break, he has quickly formed chemistry on a line with Mika Zibanejad and top prospect Gabe Perreault, with all three making some beautiful passes. He has also moved onto the top power-play unit, and he has three power-play goals in his last 10 games.
Lafreniere had one goal and two assists in a 6-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 5, a goal and an assist in a 6-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on March 9, a hat trick in a 4-0 win over the Calgary Flames on March 10, and a goal and an assist in a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on March 12. He has scored on deflections, on wrist shots, and has gotten to the front of the net. Since Panarin was traded, he has nine goals and six assists in 12 games, and he has helped the Rangers go 5-1-2 since returning from the Olympic break.
Lafreniere’s Hot Streak Is a Bright Spot This Season
Though Lafreniere struggled offensively for a lot of this season, he has stepped up since the Panarin trade and played like a true first-line winger. He should continue to play on the top line and the first power-play unit; the key for him will be consistently playing at this level and avoiding the extended scoring slumps that have prevented him from turning into a star.
