Why Alexis Lafreniere Could Be NY Rangers' Biggest X-Factor

Here's why Alexis Lafreniere might be the biggest x-factor for the New York Rangers.

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) skates against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers have started up training camp, and with the preseason right around the corner, the team will be hoping for a bounce-back year. 

Coming off a year to forget for the most part, the Rangers were really aggressive this summer to try and make improvements. Credit should go to Chris Drury for all of the talent he was able to bring in, and on paper the team looks better. 

There were a lot of different areas that New York needed to improve, and they were seemingly able to do so. However, while the team has added a lot of new players, they also have some returning players that they will be counting on to play well. 

One of the top players whom the team will be hoping to see some great things from is Alexis Lafreniere. 

Rangers Need Lafreniere to be Great 

Apr 8, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafrenière (13) shoots and scores his second goal of the gmae against the Buffalo Sabres during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With New York entering the season with the hopes of being an improved group, they are going to need players to step up. While last year certainly wasn’t a great year, the team did see some encouraging things at the end of the season. 

The Rangers certainly built a bit of momentum late, and they will be hoping to keep that up with all of the new faces. However, the team will also have some key players that they are hoping will be better, and one of them is Lafreniere. 

In the last two months of the year, the former first overall pick played some of the best hockey of his career. During March, he totaled 19 points in 16 games with nine goals and 10 assists. While there were only seven games in April, he did total five points. 

Between the two months combined, he was able to record 24 points in 23 games. That is a pretty decent sample size of being a point-per-game player, and the Rangers would love to see him sustain that over the course of the season. 

With training camp underway, it didn’t come as too much of a surprise that Mike Sullivan elected to keep him alongside Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault. 

This trio was good down the stretch, and unless they struggle and Sullivan wants to take a look at Pavel Dorofeyev on the first line, they should have confidence in them doing well. 

Overall, considering how well Lafreniere played down the stretch, he showcased some of that point-per-game potential that made him the first overall pick.