Is now the time to load up on Alexis Lafrenière Upper Deck Hockey cards or is the hype too much?
Fair, foul, or otherwise; many considered Alexis Lafrenière a bust candidate after his first season with the New York Rangers. The 22-year-old 2020 No. 1 overall pick logged 21 points in 56 games.
Lafrenière had similar stats in the 2021-22 regular season, with 31 points in 79 games.
It is hard enough living up to the hype as a No. 1 overall pick, Lafrenière had the tough task of living up to the hype of being a No. 1 overall pick playing in an original-six city.
Lafrenière had a decent run during the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs with nine points in 20 games.
The 2022-23 regular season saw Lafrenière show slight improvement with 39 points in 81 games. However, the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs were not kind to Lafrenière. Lafrenière failed to log a single point in seven games.
Was the pressure of playing in "The World's Most Famous Arena" too much for Lafrenière?
There is a good chance that if you obtained any Lafrenière hockey cards that you either sold them for less than your investment or they got tucked away in a closet somewhere.
Hopefully the latter happened.
Lafrenière experienced a coming party during the 2023-24 regular season with 57 points in 82 games. The 22-year-old has been a regular contributor in the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs with 10 points in 10 games.
Lafrenière could be a hat trick away from breaking out and a massive increase in his hockey card values.
How should you play the hype surrounding Lafrenière as he gets ready to compete in his first career Eastern Conference Final? First, let us take a look at the recent trends of his 2020 Upper Deck Young Guns PSA 10 prices.
As expected, his Young Guns rookie card prices are trending up by 32.3% over the last month. The lion share of the increase has come over the last eight days.
Below are four ways to play the recent Lafrenière hype.
Buy: It is simple, buy the hype if you are a believer in the Rangers' ability to win their first Stanley Cup since 1994. The downside is that you are buying at LaFreniere's highest value since he was first drafted in 2020 and will see an immediate decline in his card values if the Rangers do not win the Stanley Cup.
Sell: There is going to be a large selloff of Lafrenière cards in the next few days. There is a good chance that many collectors are buried in their Lafrenière cards and this is the best time to recoup funds.
Supply and demand is key. Are there more people buying the hype? Or are more sellers looking to make their investments back? Selling could be tricky, as a result.
Hold: Holding is the ultimate gamble. It all comes down to what you believe about the Rangers' chance to hoist the Stanley Cup in a few weeks. Chances are that you have been holding your Lafrenière cards for the last three or four years. You might as well ride it out.
Hedge: Similar to commonly used play in the stock market, this could be a time to hedge by selling some of your Lafrenière cards and holding a few to see what happens.
Recommendation: This is neither the time to buy or sell Lafrenière cards. The hype is at an all time high, but the motivation to sell is also at an all time high.
Holding is risky. The Rangers could get eliminated by the winner of the Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers series and you would be right back at square one.
Hedging is the play, regardless if you are looking to buy or sell Lafrenière cards. This is an opportunistic time to buy because there will be many sellers looking to recoup their investments. The same logic applies to selling off some of your Lafrenière cards.
This is a unique time in which there is hype to buy and motivation to sell.
Happy hunting and collecting!