The New York Rangers hit the jackpot in the NHL Draft Lottery on Monday evening, being awarded the first overall selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
The consensus first overall pick, Alexis Lafreniere, should fit in very nicely in the Rangers lineup if they decide to select him for the upcoming season. After losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in three straight games during the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, it was very evident that New York lacked any offensive flair to their game and didn’t have that guy who could take over and change the momentum. That’s the type of player Alexis Lafreniere has proven to be.
Alexis Lafreniere, along with his amazing talents, brings a maturity level from an 18-year-old that you would expect from established NHL players. While playing for the Rimouski Oceanic, he progressed every season in point totals while also making his teammates around him better.
Lafreniere, from Quebec, is a player who is physically ready to compete at the next level and make an immediate impact for the Rangers. He will have a very nice supporting cast around him with the likes of Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko. The Rangers are the perfect fit for Alexis Lafreniere due to him being an immediate impact player which he can further benefit from in New York. This would be the case of course on a Rangers team that’s already on the uprise in becoming a consistent postseason contender.
It will be interesting to see where he’s slotted in the Rangers lineup when the time is right. I don’t expect him to play top-six right away as the Rangers both Panarin as well as Chris Kreider as their top-six left wingers. If Lafreniere really impresses at camp, expect him to earn his way into the top-six, maybe on the first line with Pavel Buchnevich and Zibanejad. I can also see David Quinn starting him on the third line with Filip Chytil in the middle and Kaapo Kakko, Vitali Kravtsov or Jesper Fast, if he’s re-signed, on the right.
Wherever David Quinn decides to slot Lafreniere, he will be a very noticeable player, while at the same time, also making his line-mates better. By the end of the regular season, Lafreniere can easily find himself as a first line regular if he meets expectations. What makes a great player is not only how they are on the ice, but also off the ice in a team’s locker room. He possesses a leadership mentality and likes to be at the front of the line. He can easily be wearing a letter for the New York Rangers in a couple of seasons. Maybe he can be named as team captain as he wore the “A” and “C” while in the QMJHL.
Adding Alexis Lafreniere also takes a lot of pressure off Kaapo Kakko as he will not be expected to be the young guy who’s supposed to carry the franchise in a few years. He will just be a huge part of the machine that the Rangers are building for many seasons to come.
The future of the Rangers looks bright right now as the hockey club has spent time creating one of the most successful rebuilds in all of pro sports so far. If the Rangers decide to go with Alexis Lafreniere, their future has never looked more bright.