The Rangers announced late yesterday, that they have reached a two year agreement with RFA forward Alexis Lafreniere. Lafreniere had been the sole remaining RFA for the team, and his signing concludes the Summer of signings for all intents and purposes. The deal came in at 2 years, with a value of $2.325 million annually, which aligns to expectations.
With the conclusion of the negotiations, the Rangers look like they’ll enter the season with around $730K of Cap space based on a 22 man roster. While Cap Friendly currently projects a $46K overspend, the expectation is that Connor Mackey will be placed on waivers before the season starts.
The deal represents a $1.4M uplift over his entry level base salary, though it falls significantly short of what other first round picks signed on their second deals.
While the constrained salary cap certainly has had a factor in the deal, it’s more a reflection of the mixed results he’s had on the ice in his first three years. While he’s shown some goal scoring touch at times, and has put up some respectable even strength numbers, his inability to drive the play on a consistent basis, and force the coach’s hand has also contributed to just limited progress.
With Peter Laviolette joining the Rangers this year, it’s hoped that Lafreniere will find a little more opportunity, and perhaps be able to show that he’s part of the Rangers future going forward.
It’s fair to say that his introduction to the NHL has not been ideal, having been drafted and making his debut under constraints put in place by COVID, and with limited opportunities – particularly on the power play – particularly under Gerard Gallant, probably has not helped his progression. A limited experiment on the right-wing also didn’t pan out, cutting off one path that he might have perhaps been able to exploit if he’d been able to demonstrate a greater level of comfort from the start.
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