The former first-overall pick of the New York Rangers in the 2020 NHL Draft is staying put and has cashed in considerably. The Rangers announced on Friday that forward Alexis Lafreniere was re-signed to a seven-year contract, which will begin prior to the 2025-26 NHL season.
The contract is worth $52.15 million, meaning he’ll earn an AAV of $7.45 million. The deal includes an eight-team-no-trade-list from the third through seventh years; he had the chance to become a restricted free agent at the end of the current season otherwise.
The contract comes after Lafreniere set new career highs in goals (28) and assists (29) in the 2023-24 season. He also added eight goals and six assists in 16 postseason games, helping the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final.
And he’s picked up right where he left off, having already scored four goals with three assists in the first seven games of 2024-25. His output also leads the Rangers in even-strength goals and points.
According to Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette, Lafreniere’s confidence has really taken off, via The New York Times.
“I think his confidence has really grown to the point where last year in the playoffs he was really impactful,” Laviolette said. “He started off the same way this year.”
Meanwhile, Lafreniere has already expressed his happiness with playing and living in the Big Apple, via the New York Post.
“I love it here,” Lafreniere said. “Great place to be. Obviously, great team every year. Great teammates, great city.”
He also credited making adjustments in his playing style in order to adapt to playing in hockey’s top league.
“It’s a good league — the best league in the world — and you’ve got to adjust,” Lafreniere said. “Just tried to trust the process and play your game and have a good attitude. Stay patient.”
It’s clear that Drury and the rest of the Rangers brain trust viewed Lafreniere’s contributions to their team worthy of extending their relationship for another seven years – but was it the right move?
Alexis Lafreniere was the first overall 2020 Draft pick
Right or wrong, the Rangers won the 2020 NHL Draft Lottery despite participating in the postseason in the NHL’s Toronto “bubble” owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They used the pick to select Lafreniere, who was the consensus first-overall selection thanks to his scoring prowess with Rimouski Océanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. His two best seasons were in 2018-19 (37 goals, 68 assists) and 2019-20 (35 goals, 77 assists).
His play once he reached the NHL in time for the abbreviated 2020-21 season was inconsistent, as he scored 12 goals and nine assists in 56 games, and followed that up with 19 goals in 79 games played during 2021-22. His production then dipped to 31 points in 2022-23.
The Rangers then made a significant leadership change, terminating head coach Gerard Gallant and replacing him with Peter Laviolette.
In 305 career NHL games, he’s scored 79 goals with 76 assists. Additionally, he’s scored 10 goals with 13 assists in 43 career postseason games.
Where does this leave the Rangers’ salary cap?
The Rangers face several key roster decisions in the near future, with the most significant being the future of franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin.
Shesterkin is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season and is positioned to become the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history. Reports indicate that he turned down an $88 million offer before the season began.
Additionally, sniper Artemi Panarin can become a free agent in the summer of 2026, while K’Andre Miller, Reilly Smith, Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey, and Jonathan Quick’s respective deals all expire in 2025.
Before the season began, Drury stated his belief that the team has had a “real good three years” under his leadership and that the goal remains winning the Stanley Cup, via Molly Walker on X.
“It’s been a real good three years,” he said. “Obviously, our ultimate goal is to win the Cup. Personally, I’m always trying to find ways to be better at my job and to do things that allow us to compete for the Cup every year. That starts each and every year at training camp.
Looking forward to having ‘Lavi’ (coach Peter Laviolette) for a second training camp and hope they have a good camp and another good regular season and give ourselves a chance to get in the playoffs,” he continued.
Lafreniere not only set career highs in points during the 2023-24 regular season but also in the playoffs. New York’s long-term extension suggests they don’t see this success as a one-time occurrence.
Final Grade on Alexis Lafreniere’s deal: B+
While Lafreniere isn’t a franchise-altering talent like the aforementioned Panarin and Shesterkin, he’s proven himself as a key piece of the Rangers lineup. Additionally, the Rangers will also get a bit of flexibility to re-sign their stars thanks to the salary cap set to rise.
It’s now up to Lafreniere to show that he was worthy of receiving the contract.
