It appears that one breakout season is all that was needed for New York Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere to rise up near the top of the young stars in the NHL. To that end, Lafreniere ranked No. 14 in The Athletic’s breakdown of top players and prospects under the age of 23.
Corey Pronman, who compiled this list that includes 155 NHL players and prospects, created seven tiers to separate them. The tiers ranged from Elite NHL Player (Tier 1) to Middle of the Lineup Player (Tier 7).
Lafreniere landed in Tier 3, NHL All-Star. Nine players were listed in that category, including NHL forwards Matty Beniers of the Seattle Kraken (No. 9 overall), Wyatt Johnston of the Dallas Stars (No. 12), and Juraj Slafkovsky of the Montreal Canadiens (No. 15). Canadiens’ 2024 first-rounder Ivan Demidov (No. 17) was among the prospects in Tier 3, along with defenseman Zeev Buium of the Minnesota Wild (No. 16).
After three so-so seasons, Lafreniere established NHL career highs with 28 goals and 57 points last season. The 2020 No. 1 overall pick then seized the moment in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and tied for the Rangers lead with eight goals.
Pronman handed Lafreniere a “high-End” grade for his puck skills and “above average” for hockey sense, compete level and his shot. However, Lafreniere’s skating was graded “below average.”
“He’s a dynamic offensive player with high-end hands and vision,” Pronman wrote. “He makes difficult plays in small areas and shows great instincts to make plays. He struggled initially with the pace of the NHL due to his so-so skating.”
Each of the top four players on the list were included in Tier 1. They were Chicago Blackhawks stud Connor Bedard, who was the top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft (No. 1), Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators (No. 2), 2024 top pick Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks (No. 3) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (No. 4).
The next four players landed in Tier 2, Bubble elite NHL player and NHL All-Star. Two of those players are in the same Metropolitan Division as the Rangers — defenseman Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils (No. 6) and Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov (No. 7).
5 other Rangers join Alexis Lafreniere among top NHL players under age 23
Lafreniere wasn’t the only player on Pronman’s list to have Rangers ties. Two of Lafreniere’s current teammates and three Rangers prospects also made the cut.
Defenseman Braden Schneider and forward prospect Gabe Perreault were listed in Tier 6, Bubble top and middle of the lineup player. Schneider, 22, ranked No. 50 and is set for his fourth season as an NHL regular. Perreault, 19, was New York’s first-round pick in 2023 and will play at Boston College this season. The highly-skilled Perreault ranked No. 52 on the list.
“He’s an excellent skater, with size and tenacity,” Pronman wrote about Schneider. “He closes on checks like a premier shutdown player and can skate pucks up ice very well. He’s not great with the puck and not a points guy, with first-pass offense at best, but his puck play is good enough to make him a top-four defenseman given how solid he is defensively.”
Pronman graded Schneider’s compete level as “high end” and his shot and skating as “above average.” His puck skills graded out as “below average.”
Perreault’s hockey sense was graded “high end” but his skating was “below average.”
Rangers forward Will Cuylle and prospects Brennan Othmann and E.J. Emery were in Tier 7. Cuylle, who scored 13 goals as a bottom-six staple as a rookie, ranked No. 132, two spots behind Othmann, the 2021 first-round pick, who slotted in No. 130.
Both Cuylle and Othmann were graded “below average” in skating. However, Othmann graded “above average” in three categories: puck skills, compete level and shot. Cuylle was above average in compete level.
Emery, New York’s top pick in the 2024 draft, was No. 150 on the list. He was “above average” in skating and compete level and “below average” in puck skills and shot.
“I think his first-pass offense is good enough to play a regular shift in the League, but it’s the main thing he needs to improve to prove himself versus better players,” Pronman explained.
