Danny Wild-Imagn ImagesThe 2026-27 season will be a big test for Alexis Lafrenière.
In his first year under Mike Sullivan with the New York Rangers, Lafrenière struggled through the first half but found some success in the latter half, ultimately matching his career-high in points from the 2023-24 campaign, 57.
“I just feel like my confidence the last 30, 40 games, just making plays and trusting yourself,” Lafrenière said about the biggest jump in his game. “I feel that that's a big part of playing good, if you play with confidence. So I feel like that was the biggest difference.”
Now, the 24-year-old forward will look to build upon his impressive end to the 2025-26 season.
The big question is if Lafrenière can put all of the tools together for a full season.
Even with the offensive additions of Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand, Lafrenière should still be in store to serve a consistent top-six role, with the potential of playing on the first power play unit.
What Mike Sullivan continued to elude throughout the year was Lafrenière’s improvements when it came to providing a presence in front of the net and expanding his offensive games by becoming a threat to score in the dirty areas.
That’s an aspect of Lafrenière’s game that drastically improved under the tutelage of Sullivan and will be a major key if he were to have an increase in production this upcoming season.
“I mean, you look at goals around the league; they're scored around the net, so you have to get there, and that's a part of my game I can still improve and work on that and hopefully come back and be even better,” Lafrenière said.
During his exit interview, Lafrenière preached the importance of consistency for himself.
“I just feel like for me, consistency,” Lafrenière said. “I think that's the biggest part, and that's really what I want to improve in my game. If I can be consistent, I can help the team win way more.”
A more consistent Lafrenière wouldn't solve all of the Rangers’ offensive issues, but it would certainly help raise the potential of their forward core and help the 2020 first overall pick take a monumental step in his NHL career.
