There's a famous issue of Superman called "Red Son", which resolves the question, "What if Superman landed in Russia - not Kansas - and how different his life would have been." New York Rangers fans often ask themselves about a parallel timeline where they drafted someone else besides Alexis Lafrenière in October of 2020, when the New York Rangers improbably won the top overall pick. In those days leading up to the Draft, the 18 year-old Quebec native was the consensus top overall pick and it was nearly a no-brainer to take him first after his stellar 2019 World Juniors and DYNAMITE three seasons with Rimouski Océanic in the QMJHL. He was the first Océanic player drafted first overall since Sidney Crosby in 2005. While the Blueshirts are still patently waiting for the soon-to-be 22 year-old to blossom, one thing is becoming clear, Lafrenière's tenure is on the clock.
Let's go back to the Draft in 2020. Some fans will argue that the Rangers should have traded down and selected a center like Quinton Byfield, but they didn't. They chose the player with 297 points in 197 games with Rimouski, but there was one small problem; his position. While there were whispers of the young forward playing center, Lafrenière was a left wing on a team with 2 left wings; MVP finalist Artemi Panarin and Blueshirt mainstay Chris Kreider - who just signed an extension prior to the trade deadline. Not a surprise, the Rangers went with the narrative that Lafrenière had to "earn his playing time". As dissected last season in Kakko and Lafrenière are collecting dust, Lafrenière has yet to get the playing time his contemporaries have. While Lafrenière's snail-like progression makes a Star Wars series look fast-moving, the young forward cracked an average 15 minutes of Time on Ice last season. Conversely, 2019 overall pick Jack Hughes played 15:52 his rookie season and has averaged over 19 minutes every year since. 2017 top pick Nico Hischier played 16:19 TOI in his rookie season before averaging over 18 minutes since. Sadly, Lafrenière's TOI can be compared to 2012 top overall pick Nail Yakupov, who saw under 15:27 TOI his entire career in the NHL. Being mentioned with him is NOT good. Clearly, Lafrenière was blocked from more ice time and now is moving from his natural LEFT WING to the RIGHT WING to crack the top 6.
Let's go back to April 16th, 2022, when the 2nd year player took a Patrik Nemeth stretch pass, walked in against Detroit's Dylan Larkin, put the puck between his legs and finished with an effortless backhand goal - his 2nd of the game. That goal was amazing and Lafrenière has duplicated it a year later in Washington. THE PROBLEM is that those moments are few and far between. In three seasons, Alexis Lafrenière has 47 goals, 44 assists for 91 points. He has a career total of 6 power play points. That's one more than former New York Rangers legend Colin Blackwell, who averaged MORE TOI than the Blueshirts' top overall pick in his only season as a Ranger. That's not a misprint.
"I wonder how seriously he takes his off-seasons. I haven't seen an improvemnet in his skating, strength and conditioning... The talent is there. The Hockey IQ is there. Where the hell is everything else?" - John Filkowski, Big Apple Hockey
While Lafrenière has put up a career high 39 points last season - which is close to Pavel Buchnevich's production in the same time - the former Oceanic star found himself playing on the third line with little chance of more playing time. While fans could constantly complain about his production, Lafrenière has been treated like one of his signed pucks placed on a shelf waiting to appreciate in value. That doesn't work for athletes that need to grow in their abilities. Some players can thrive in small roles, top overall draft picks cannot. What's baffling is the lack of commitment by the Rangers to the kid from St-Eustache.
What team drafts number 1 overall and never uses the player? Usually it's a bottom feeder team that plays the draft pick 18 minutes and game to grow WITH the player. The Rangers have not done that. In many ways, there's plenty of blame to go around. The New York Rangers extending Chris Kreider and signing Artemi Panarin to a 7 year deal the off-season before meant his time on his natural left wing would be as a third liner. How could someone ever make an impact when they never have a chance? Sure, Gallant would play him with in the top six for what felt like shifts, but not for long. On their side, Lafrenière would fail to show their faith any production. His skating isn't exactly on par with Hughes or other top overall picks; nor his shot, nor hockey IQ. Unlike 2019 2nd overall pick and his teammate Kaapo Kakko, Lafrenière doesn't seem to have grown. He still seems stuck in this "potential" that doesn't translate to the present.
With new head coach Peter Laviolette in place, Lafrenière is getting a clean slate and while that's promising to the young player, will the Rangers actually play him more than Kreider (18:18 TOI since 2021) or Panarin (19:28 TOI since 2020)? How can you develop a FIRST OVERALL PICK only playing him 5-on-5 and under 15 minutes? And it's clear Lafrenière has not progressed. In the first 2023 preseason game, Lafrenière stole the puck and took a wrist shot that did not scare Bruins minor league goalie Brandon Bussi. While the contract and age makes their top overall pick attractive, he loses value everyday he doesn't produce as fans are seeing Tim Stützle light it up in Ottawa like the way they want Lafrenière to. If the pressure watching Stützle isn't enough, Brennan Othmann is coming up and could potentially PASS the 2020 number one overall pick. Let that sink in. Can this possibly be the final chance to the young Quebec forward in New York or will he and the Rangers have the last Laf?
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