Why NY Rangers Should Not Trade Alexis Lafreniere

Here's why the New York Rangers should not trade Alexis Lafreniere.

Jan 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) moves the puck against the Los Angeles Kings during the third period at Crypto.com Arena. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

As the New York Rangers prepare for the offseason, there are going to be a lot of important decisions for the team to make. However, while they will be trying to improve, there should be one young player that they don’t trade away. 

Following a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference, this is going to look like a different roster for the Rangers in the 2026-27 campaign. New York has set themselves up well with two first round draft picks and cap space. However, with options in free agency being slim, and the Rangers falling to fifth overall in the NHL Draft, they might not be able to make the big splash or impact addition that they want in those areas. 

With the salary cap going up, there figures to be a ton of trades made this summer. New York has been active on the trade market during their retool, and that will likely continue. Center Vincent Trocheck is one of the top names not only for the Rangers but around the league so far. 

While Trocheck should be able to bring them back a nice package, he likely wouldn’t be involved in a deal that helps the team land a star. New York is lacking young, desirable assets if a star player becomes available, and arguably the top player for them in that category would be the former first overall pick, Alexis Lafreniere. 

Rangers Should Not Trade Alexis Lafreniere

New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

While the 24-year-old hasn’t lived up to the expectations of being a first overall pick, he did flash some of that upside after the Olympic break. Toward the end of the season, the first line of Lafreniere, Mika Zibanejad, and Gabe Perreault played very well together, and Lafreniere was at about a point a game for an extended stretch. 

To little surprise, when he started playing like that, New York’s offense looked a lot better, and the team started to win more games. Now, the Rangers will have to be hoping that perhaps something has finally clicked for him. 

While a star player might become available, getting the new developmental team and having a coach like Mike Sullivan could help bring out the best in Lafreniere. As a team that still needs a lot to be a contender, giving away their former first overall pick coming off a strong second half of the season doesn’t seem like a wise move for the franchise.