New York Rangers left winger Alexis Lafreniere has really found his game in this late stretch of the NHL regular season. But is this late surge a sign of growth, or is it a result of the team having less pressure as a losing team?
It’s been another challenging season for the New York Rangers. On Wednesday, they were eliminated from playoff contention, and they are practically guaranteed to finish in the bottom three of the NHL standings.
The organization is committed to a retool, and as a result, the roster has been weakened, relieving the current players of the pressure of playing in a major market like New York.
That lack of pressure can be a gift to some players, and at the moment, deciphering whether that minimal pressure means Alexis Lafreniere’s late-season surge is sustainable, or just a blip.
We’ve seen this in the past, as most notably with Alex Galchenyuk, who exploded to end the 2015-16 season with the Montreal Canadiens when they dropped out of the playoff hunt and embraced losing. Galchenyuk finished the regular season with 30 goals and 56 points, but he never replicated the production and overall impact he had.
The question currently surrounding Lafreniere is just that. Is his stellar play since the commitment to the retool because he faces no pressure, or is this a positive sign of things to come?
To start, Lafreniere, following his power-play goal against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, has notched 22 goals and 51 points in 73 games, with both listed scoring categories the second-highest totals he’s set in his six-year career.
Since the New Year, the 24-year-old has scored 14 goals and 31 points in 31 games, an 82-game pace of 37 goals and 82 points. In that time frame, he’s averaged 17:36 of ice time, fired 67 shots on goal (2.16 per game) and has a shooting percentage of 20.9 percent. Although you would hope to see his shots-on-goal numbers increase, they are still respectable.
Furthermore, when you look at his stats since the Artemi Panarin trade on Feb. 5, you’d see that Lafreniere has recorded 10 goals and 19 points in 17 games, tied for 12th in the NHL in points and seventh in goals.
Additionally, his shot total is 43 (2.53 per game), and his shooting percentage sits at 23.3 percent. That shooting percentage number might be a bit unsustainable, but not impossible as he continues to grow.
Alexis Lafreniere (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)Since the Panarin trade, the former 2020 first-overall pick has seen his time on the power play increase drastically, and his new role as the net-front presence has unlocked a new element to his game.
Standing 6-foot-2, Lafreniere has a big frame that helps him gain body position in front of the opponent’s net. But when he gets to that spot, it’s where his talent shines through.
His quick hands allow him to generate offense in front, whether it’s driving the puck to the net or finding loose rebounds, but his ability to deflect pucks is what has catapulted his production.
Against the Blackhawks, Lafreniere demonstrated that skillset once again, deflecting an Adam Fox point shot on the power play. Lafreniere now has eight power-play goals and 12 power-play points, both blowing his previous career highs of three goals and six points in separate campaigns, out of the water.
There is an avenue for success as a net front presence. Joe Pavelski made his NHL career by doing so, and he has seemingly passed that on to Wyatt Johnston, who may have taken the mantle as the best net front presence in the NHL.
Furthermore, players like Matthew Knies, Zach Hyman, Tomas Hertl, Sam Reinhart and Chris Kreider have made their living in front and around the net, each posting stellar goal-scoring numbers throughout their careers.
Many people believed that Lafreniere’s lack of opportunity on the power play was holding him back, as his 5-on-5 numbers throughout his career have been fairly strong. And despite the increased power play minutes, his 5-on-5 game this season remains strong.
At 5-on-5, the Rangers have outscored their opponents 45-40, have an expected goals percentage of 53.29 percent, and have a high-danger chances for percentage of 58.68 percent with Lafreniere on the ice, according to naturalstattrick.com.
His defensive game has improved, and he’s quietly becoming one of the more efficient defending wingers in the NHL.
Since the beginning of 2026, Lafreniere has demonstrated first-line production while maintaining his defensive acumen.
The chemistry with center Mika Zibanejad and right winger Gabe Perreault has been phenomenal. Zibanejad is the shooter, while Perreault is the pure playmaker. Lafreniere brings balance as he is willing to go to the net and lead the forecheck, while also possessing a threatening shot and the vision and execution to make plays with the puck.
But the question remains, is all of this sustainable? I believe so.
High shooting percentages are becoming far more common, and throughout time, players who score in tight always tend to have higher shooting percentages. Moreover, he’s proven that the production will follow with the increased opportunity.
He might not score at the near 40-goal and 90-point pace he’s clicked at recently, but there is definite 30-goal, 70-point potential in a still-young left winger.
And regarding the lack of pressure, looking at his playoff stats during the 2023-24 season may disprove that theory. In a trip to the Eastern Conference final, Lafreniere posted eight goals and 14 points in 16 games.
It may have taken time, but Lafreniere seems to have figured out what his role and play style are in the NHL to be successful.
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