When the Rangers selected Alexis Lafreniere first overall in 2020, a year after taking Kaapo Kakko second overall in 2019, both players should have been treated like marquee talents by the Rangers in the midst of a rebuild on the fly. Neither were. Instead, both were given bottom six minutes and confidence cratered, eventually leading to Kakko’s trade and relentless trade rumors with Lafreniere. Patience is still needed with Lafreniere, even as the Islanders and Devils showcase Matthew Schaefer and Jack Hughes, respectively, as their organizational foundations.
While you could certainly make the case that Kakko and Lafreniere never had the potential or the talent to play as well as the likes of Schaefer or Hughes, that argument requires ignorance over their performances leading up to the draft. Kakko was very clearly the second best player in his draft class and Lafreniere was very clearly the best in his. The selections were not controversial in any way.
Some pundits found weaknesses in Kakko and Lafreniere, no one believed those weaknesses would spell major trouble for the players. At worst they looked like “could be top six stalwarts”, while at best they would be future award candidates. Weaknesses are found in virtually all picks, as Hughes’ size and strength were questioned in 2019.
Instead, the Rangers did what the Rangers do best and failed to develop either player. Kakko rarely got playing time outside of the bottom six until his confidence was completely broken, and while Lafreniere more quickly got top six time, to this day he has only earned time on the top power-play unit if one of the regulars is hurt.
Compare that to Jack Hughes and Matthew Schaefer, who almost immediately played heavy minutes and top power-play time. Hughes has developed into a star, and Schaefer is already being treated like a franchise player.
Players are not without blame in this situation, but playing time matters. Building up the confidence of young players matters. If you bench a player every time they make a mistake, they’re going to play like they don’t want to make mistakes, not like they want to make the best plays possible.
Kaapo Kakko is now a Seattle Kraken while Alexis Lafreniere is still a Ranger, and still looking for a truly breakout season. While I am not convinced Kakko has the it factor, Lafreniere has had some stellar postseason performances, and some nights looks like the best player on the ice. We’re on year five of Lafreniere’s development, and at this point the Rangers organization treats him like a guy they acquired in the third round, not a first overall pick.
You could argue whether that’s on Lafreniere or the Rangers, but the truth remains: if Lafreniere was drafted by the Devils or Islanders, he would have gotten plenty of more chances by now. We still need to show patience with Lafreniere, but at some point he needs to both be given the proper ice time to succeed and show he can play in those big roles. Patience is needed, but for how long must we be patient with both the Rangers and Lafreniere?
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