The New York Rangers appear ready to enter a rebuild, and one of their trade chips is former top pick Alexis Lafreniere.
Lafreniere has struggled to live up to the hype as a first overall pick. His name has also come up in trade rumors as of late, and the Rangers could very well move him before the March 6 trade deadline.
Ahead of the deadline, The Athletic’s Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal named the Vancouver Canucks as a potential landing spot for Lafreniere.
“If Lafrenière were to shake loose, however, he’d still be worth gambling on. Even for a team like the Canucks that has a load of road to run to get back to contention,” the insiders wrote. “While Lafrenière’s skating has held him back somewhat, he’s typically managed better underlying performance than his results would suggest. This season, for example, his five-on-five goal scoring has taken a major hit due to a career low shooting percentage. Even as his defensive impact has spiked. Which is generally the sort of profile you want to bet on.
“Maybe he never becomes the star point producer that he seemed likely to be as a 17-year-old, but Lafrenière still has a shot to be a top-of-the-lineup winger with significant two-way value. If the Canucks were able to accumulate sufficient draft capital to spend some of it on a 24-year-old or land Lafrenière as a primary piece in a larger trade for one of their expensive, long-tenured veteran players, he still has a credible path to developing into a real difference maker.”
Lafreniere could become a first-line player for the Canucks and be a key part of their retool. It could also be a good change of scenery for the former first overall pick.
Lafreniere on Trade Block?
The Rangers already dealt Artemi Panarin, and the team may not be done.
Instead, New York could look to move the likes of Vincent Trocheck and Lafreniere, among others. Although Lafreniere is under contract for the foreseeable future, the Rangers are expected to field calls on him.
“Trading Lafrenière would mean the organization conceding defeat on another top-10 pick,” The Athletic’s Peter Baugh wrote. “The team has already traded away Kaapo Kakko (No. 2 in 2019), Vitali Kravtsov (No. 9 in 2018) and Lias Andersson (No. 7 in 2017). And neither Kravtsov nor Andersson is still in the NHL.
If Drury were to trade Lafrenière, it would be imperative for him to get young talent back. The Rangers could seek a deal similar to the Josh Norris-Dylan Cozens swap at last year’s deadline that gave both players a fresh start. Or he could opt to keep Lafrenière rather than trading him while his value is arguably at the lowest of his career.”
Lafreniere is in the first year of his seven-year, $52.15 million deal. He’s recorded 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points in 57 games.
Rangers Set to Retool
New York is having another disappointing season, and now the team is expected to enter a rebuild.
The Rangers have already traded Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings, and the team isn’t done. However, general manager Chris Drury sent a letter to the fans. He said this won’t be a rebuild, but rather a retool.
“With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation,” Drury wrote. “We are not going to stand pat. A shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team. This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects.
“We will target players that bring tenacity, skill, speed, and a winning pedigree. With a focus on obtaining young players, draft picks, and cap space to allow us flexibility moving forward. That may mean saying goodbye to players that have brought us and our fans great moments over the years. These players represented the Rangers with pride and class and will always be a part of our family.”
The Rangers are 22-29-6 and last in the Eastern Conference.
Rangers Linked to Trading Former Top Pick to Rebuilding Western Team