The 2024-25 season was a tough year for the New York Rangers. After entering the campaign with high expectations, they finished the year with a 39-36-7 record and missed the playoffs. As a result of this, their goal during the 2025-26 campaign will be to get things back on track and prove that they can be a post-season club again.
For the Rangers to be a more significant threat in the Eastern Conference again, they will need their top players to be playing at their best levels. Alexis Lafreniere is certainly one of them, as the 2020 first-round pick is in need of a bounce-back season.
During the 2023-24 season, Lafreniere took a nice step forward in his development, setting career highs with 28 goals, 29 assists, and 57 points in 82 games. The hope was that he would build off this, but he instead saw a drop in offense in 2024-25, posting 17 goals, 45 points, and a minus-13 rating in 82 games.
While Lafreniere had a down year offensively for the Rangers, he certainly has the potential to bounce back for the Blueshirts this upcoming campaign. When playing at his best, he has the ability to be a difference-maker, and the Rangers are undoubtedly hoping he can be just that for them this upcoming season.
If Lafreniere regains his 2023-24 form, it would be significant for a Rangers club looking to turn things around. It will be fascinating to see if he can do just that from here.