NY Rangers' Young Star Close to Having a Career-Year

Which young star for the New York Rangers is close to having a career-year?

Mar 27, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) celebrates his goal against the Chicago Blackhawks with teammates during the third period at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers saw their red-hot streak take a little bit of a hit on Wednesday night against the Buffalo Sabres, as they were defeated by a score of 5-3. However, despite the loss, there were some positives to the game. 

Even though the Rangers might not have been able to win on Wednesday, they have still won five of their last seven games and have been finishing the campaign on a positive note. The Sabres are a playoff team in the Eastern Conference, and losing to them isn’t something to be ashamed of. 

In the loss, it was actually New York who held a lead going into the final period of play. Unfortunately, the defense wasn’t great for the team in the loss, and they ultimately allowed a three-goal period in the third, including an empty netter. 

While the defense may have faltered for the team in the loss, the offense continued to play well. This is a unit that struggled for the majority of the campaign but has been much better of late. One of the players who has been performing well is former first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere. In the loss, he had a very good performance. 

Lafreniere Having Strong Campaign 

New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

As the former first overall pick for the Rangers, there have always been a lot of expectations and pressure on Lafreniere. While he might not be as explosive as some other number one picks, he has had a solid career. 

So far this season, he has totaled 55 points with 24 goals and 31 assists. Those are certainly decent numbers, and he has been a solid contributor on the first line for New York. In the loss to the Sabres, he was able to have a two-goal performance, which was his third multi-goal game of the year. 

Following the multi-goal performance, it is Lafreniere who ranks second on the team in goals scored this season behind only Mika Zibanejad. Furthermore, he is also third in points. 

Overall, it has been a really strong season for Lafreniere, and with a couple of games to go, it could end up being the best of his career. In the 2023-24 season, he set a career high with 57 points, totaling 28 goals and 29 assists. While he might not be able to reach that number of goals, he has a great chance of setting a new career-high in points with three games to go. Overall, the Rangers should be pleased with his play this year, and he will continue to be a building block at just 24 years old.