Lafreniere Aims for Expanded Role as Rangers’ Season Kicks Off

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Alexandre Lafreniere is gearing up for a significant role in his fifth NHL season. The New York Rangers are keen to provide him with more on-ice opportunities, although integrating him into their already successful power-play unit presents challenges. Having broken out last season with 57 points, including 51 at even strength, Lafreniere’s potential participation in the power play is under consideration as the Rangers prepare for their season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette acknowledged the dilemma of disrupting a power play that ranked amongst the top five in the league last year. “It’s a weighing and balancing thing,” Laviolette remarked. “You’ve got a power play that was No. 1 for long stretches in the League, so you’re balancing that.”

Lafreniere shone last season alongside center Vincent Trocheck and left wing Artemi Panarin, contributing significantly to the team’s offensive output. Panarin led the Rangers with 120 points, while Trocheck followed with 77. Lafreniere played over 15 minutes at even strength per game but was only afforded 1:17 of power-play ice time per game, largely due to the effectiveness of the established unit comprising Panarin, Trocheck, Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, and Adam Fox.

Laviolette explained that maintaining the key components of the power-play unit was prioritized due to its past success. “When that first unit goes on the ice, you’re not really going to worry about the next group as much,” Laviolette stated. Despite this, the potential for Lafreniere to increase his scoring figures with more power-play time remains evident.

Lafreniere himself expressed a desire for this opportunity. “I mean, I feel every player wants that,” he said, while diplomatically adding, “But I don’t really care about it. I go out there whenever my name is called.”

Heading into the last year of a two-year contract and soon eligible to become a restricted free agent, enhancing his performance statistics could be beneficial for Lafreniere. His peers, like Detroit’s Lucas Raymond and Carolina’s Seth Jarvis, having signed lucrative long-term deals, played more minutes on power plays than Lafreniere and benefited from an increased role on their teams.

Laviolette remains open to exploring changes that could allow Lafreniere to flourish further, emphasizing the ongoing evaluation process. “That’s training camp. That’s exhibition games. That’s maybe the start of the season as we’re working through that and figuring that out.”