In what has been a disappointing 2024-25 season for the New York Rangers, nearly every key player has struggled to meet expectations. Although the team has shown some improvement since the start of the new year, much of the core has underperformed compared to past seasons.
Among the most concerning regressions is that of Alexis Lafreniere, the 23-year-old whom the Rangers recently invested in as a key part of their future. After a breakout 2023-24 campaign—where he posted career highs in goals (28), assists (29), and points (57) and emerged as arguably the Rangers’ best forward in the playoffs—Lafreniere seemed to be on the path to stardom. However, this season, he has experienced extended scoring droughts, tallying just 14 goals and 32 points in 55 games despite maintaining a top-six role.
For the first time in his NHL career, Lafreniere is on pace for a decline in production after steadily improving each season, a surprising turn given widespread expectations of a 70-point breakout year.
Could Alexis Lafreniere’s 7-year extension be risky investment for Rangers
The Rangers front office believed in Lafreniere’s trajectory, signing him to a seven-year, $52.15 million extension in late October to avoid a potential price increase after a strong contract year. At the time, the deal was widely seen as a smart move for the team and perhaps a missed opportunity for Lafreniere to demand more. However, with the extension set to kick in for the 2025-26 season, his performance this year has raised concerns.
Lafreniere’s impact has diminished, and old concerns about his conditioning, commitment, and defensive play have resurfaced. He has lacked the energy and assertiveness that made him effective last season, and his defensive lapses have been glaring—most notably, poor backchecking efforts leading to goals against in recent games against Pittsburgh and Columbus. His minus-13 rating is the worst of his career after being a combined plus-14 over the previous three seasons.
The Rangers could overlook defensive struggles if Lafreniere were producing offensively, but that hasn’t been the case. He has gone through multiple scoring slumps, including a 13-game goalless stretch earlier in the season, and his overall pace suggests his point total will decline for the first time in his career.
Last offseason, Lafreniere dedicated himself to improving his speed and strength, which paid off with his breakout season. This year, however, his skating appears to have regressed, leading to speculation about whether his long-term contract has impacted his motivation. While it’s unclear if he’s feeling pressure from his new deal or simply coasting after securing a payday, the uncertainty surrounding his performance won’t subside until he regains his form.
Rangers are desperate for Alexis Lafreniere to grow into a star
There is no denying the pressure on Lafreniere. The Rangers’ core is aging, and their attempts to develop homegrown stars haven’t yielded the expected results. They drafted Kaapo Kakko second overall in 2019 and Lafreniere first in 2020, but Kakko was traded earlier this season, and Lafreniere’s inconsistency raises questions about his long-term role.
Failing to develop at least one franchise cornerstone from those high draft picks would be a significant setback for the Rangers. While Lafreniere isn’t a bust, he must elevate his game and bring more consistency to his play. Being a No. 1 overall pick comes with high expectations, and while he showed his offensive skillset last season, this year has shifted the conversation toward whether he has the drive to continue developing into the star the Rangers need him to be.
Defensive effort is not about skill but commitment, and recent lapses raise concerns about Lafreniere’s overall approach. While some of his underlying metrics remain respectable, the Rangers have been outscored with him on the ice, and he hasn’t benefited from career-best seasons from linemates Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, as he did last year.
The Rangers can only hope that Lafreniere—like much of the team—has been dragged down by a frustrating season and will bounce back soon. Given their financial commitment to him as a future cornerstone, they have little choice but to believe in his potential to turn things around.