All eye have been on first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere ever since he made his NHL debut with the New York Rangers, but unfortunately for him, wheels are falling off the wagon pretty quickly.
Last night against the Buffalo Sabres, Lafreniere’s time on the ice was cut short as he endured his sixth straight game without a point. According to Rangers insider Larry Brooks of the New York Post, he therefore equaled “Jack Hughes’ getaway drought from a year ago. Steven Stamkos, in 2008-09, was the last first-overall draft selection to go longer before recording his first point. The Tampa Bay center was kept off the sheet for his first seven contests.”
Head coach David Quinn might be losing patience with the first overall pick, who finished with 14:58 of ice time. He recorded three shots on four attempts.
The expectations have been so high for Lafreniere, especially since fans started calling him out as he was playing his first ever NHL game. The young rookie has been projected to be a highly skilled player and a key piece in the Rangers’ future, but for now, it might be hard to believe it.
Ever since Lafreniere has been underperforming - based on all our expectations - fans haven’t minced their words about his performance on social media. Some folks aren’t cutting him any slack, calling him a bust and saying he is fourth-line material only.
Let’s remember that the kid is on NHL ice for the first time and was left without playing hockey for over 10 months when the pandemic took over. We hope the Rangers, and their fanbase, will give Lafreniere a little more patience.
And let’s put coach Quinn on that list as well.
