Although there is not much space to work with, General Manager Chris Drury and the notice They’ve been relatively busy in free agency this offseason.
They’ve made some basket deal moves to increase roster depth, most notably signing the veteran winger Blake Wheeler for a one-year deal. They also reached an agreement with RFA Candy Miller on Contract extension for two yearswhile keeping it on Broadway for the next few seasons.
One of the only moves left is to get a deal with the team’s other RFA Alexis Lafreniere It looks like it could be removed from the list soon.
said the talented young winger Simon Olivier Lerange in La Presse As he participates in the charity Pro-Am game in Quebec City this week, the two sides are in talks and an agreement is expected soon.
“He’s coming up. My agent and Rangers are in discussions, and I hope that can be settled in the next few weeks.” I love playing there. I love the city, the fans and the arena. It would be great to continue.”
The Rangers, who had been dominating the QMJHL, selected Lafreniere with the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. His rise and skills set some high expectations for the 21-year-old early on, and so far, he has failed to live up to those expectations.
Lafreniere has shown some positive flashes over the years, but he’s been bumped around the Rangers lineup and hasn’t seen many playing or power opportunities. He came off a season in which he scored 16 goals and 23 assists (39 points) in 81 games.
Lafreniere became a healthy scratch for one game over the past season due to his lack of production. In his second playoff appearance, he was a bogey through the seven-game series against the Devils, not scoring a single point.
Over his first three seasons in the NHL, the former top pick scored a total of 91 points (47 goals, 44 assists). While things haven’t gone as planned so far, Lafreniere is confident that he will continue to move forward with the best.
“You have to be patient,” he said, “I think it will come.” “I think my game has improved on both ends of the ice. But I would still like to have more offensive production and generate attack movement.”
with a new coach Peter Laviolette Behind the bench this season, there is hope that Lafrenière and the rest of the young and developing Rangers side will get more opportunities to shine.
Many have speculated this season that his new deal with the team would be a two-year Miller-style bridge deal, but it looks like we’ll soon see what the two sides hammer out.