The New York Rangers struck the mother lode when they landed the first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. That season, the consensus number-one pick was Alexis Lafreniere. The Blue Shirts did not hesitate to take him.
The plan was for Lafreniere to become a franchise cornerstone. The Rangers had the top pick for just the second time in team history and the first time since 1965. So, Lafreniere became the spearhead for the club’s attempt to win another championship after coming so close in 2014.
However, Lafreniere hasn’t had quite the impact the Rangers hoped he would. He scored 12 goals and 21 points in his rookie season. Then, the Quebec native made strides, nearly hitting 20 tallies the following season. He continued improving until hitting 28 goals and 57 points in the Rangers’ Presidents’ Trophy-winning season in 2023-24.
But last season, Lafreniere regressed. His numbers return to his career averages, casting doubt on whether the 23-year-old will become the franchise player the Rangers hoped he would become.
So, that begs the question: Is it time to call Alexis Lafreniere a bust? There is mounting evidence to suggest he’s a good player, but not one has lived up to the hype surrounding the first-overall status.
Think of other first-overall picks. Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Nico Hischier, to name a few. They all have impacted their teams significantly. They have plenty of hardware among them. MacKinnon has a Stanley Cup to his name.
That’s something that Lafreniere lacks. He doesn’t have the hardware or the Stanley Cups to back up his performance thus far.
Rangers Banking on Lafreniere’s Potential
2020 might seem like ages ago. Since then, Lafreniere has five seasons under his belt and a respectable 193 points in 380 games.
It’s also easy to forget that he’s just 23. Most professional athletes are just breaking into their respective sports at that age. That situation means that there’s potential for Lafreniere still. As such, the Rangers are banking on Lafreniere potentially hitting another level as he matures.
That’s why the Blue Shirts signed him to a seven-year, $52.15 million contract last season. The hope is that he can blossom into a player like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins became for the Edmonton Oilers.
It could be a safe bet at this point to say Lafreniere won’t suddenly morph into Patrick Kane. But then again, he could find another level to his game. That’s something the Rangers will gladly take.
There’s Enough Evidence to Make a Call
Five seasons is enough of a sample size to make a call. Unfortunately, Alexis Lafreniere is well on his way to earning the “bust” label. Unless he can somehow score 40 goals consistently for the remainder of his career, he won’t shake off the label.
Perhaps he could captain the Rangers one day and lead them to a Stanley Cup. That’s something that would help is shedding the label.
But until he wins a major award, a championship, or consistently becomes a high-end performer, Lafreniere will have to contend with being labeled a bust.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Rangers Former 1st Overall Pick Could Earn Bust Label appeared first on Heavy Sports.