Why Alexis Lafreniere's Contract is Becoming Great for NY Rangers

The New York Rangers are starting to see the contract of Alexis Lafreniere become a really good one.

Mar 27, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) brings the puck up ice against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers have been a very busy team this offseason bringing in some new talent. However, what really might make or break them is how some of their young players develop. 

It has been a tough couple of years for the Rangers. They have missed the playoffs for the last two seasons and finished in last place in the Eastern Conference this past year. 

New York was able to land the fifth overall pick, and the team elected to go with defenseman Alberts Smits. One of the goals for the team was to get younger and having a top five pick certainly helps with that. 

However, the team doesn’t have the best recent track record drafting in the lottery, and that will be a reputation they are trying to change. One of the recent players they selected in the lottery was Alexis Lafreniere. The talented forward had high expectations coming into the league, but has underperformed a bit. 

Despite that, he was given a contract extension with the Rangers and now that deal is seemingly looking to be a very strong one. 

Lafreniere’s Contract Becoming Better and Better

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

As the Rangers were planning their offseason, one of the names that was floated around briefly was Lafreneire. The former first overall pick hasn’t quite lived up to the hype in the league, but he has been a serviceable player for the Rangers. 

At just 24 years old, he has already played six seasons with New York and is one of the more experienced players on the team. While he has flashed some skills, the consistency really hasn’t been there until the second half of last year. 

Following the Rangers trading Artemi Panarin and Lafreniere stepping into a bigger role, the young forward really shined alongside Mika Zibanejad on the first line. 

Overall, he totaled 57 points with 24 goals and 33 assists. However, it was later in the campaign that he really shined. In March and April, he totaled 24 points in 23 games, making it one of the best stretches of his career. 

Now, when looking at that level of production compared to how his contract is, there is a lot to like. The 24-year-old has six years left on his deal at $7.5 million per season. 

Due to the salary cap continuing to go up and Lafreniere also coming off a really strong second half at just 24 years old, he has quickly become a really great value for the Rangers. 

New York will certainly be hoping that he has turned a corner and can be the player that he was down the stretch. If he can, New York will be in a strong position.