Alexis Lafreniere ‘fired up’ to stay with New York Rangers on 7-year extension

Alexis Lafreniere is happy that he’ll be part of the New York Rangers for the foreseeable future.

“I’m happy to be done with it and fired up to stay for seven years,” the 23-year-old forward said Saturday, one day after the Rangers announced that he’d agreed to a seven-year contract extension that multiple published reports said is worth more than $52 million. “It’s nice to get it done, and now I can just focus on the season and try to help the team win.”

PuckPedia reported the average annual value of the extension is $7.45 million, that Lafreniere will receive an $8 million signing bonus and $2 million base salary in 2025-26, the first season of the deal, and that there’s an eight-team no-trade list in years 3 through 7.

“It’s great,” he said. “Long deal. I love playing here, so it’s really good for me to stay for a long time.”

Lafreniere has four goals and seven points in seven games this season. He’s had at least one point in six of seven games, including the lone Rangers goal in a 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday. Among Rangers skaters this season , Lafreniere is first in even-strength goals (4), second in even-strength points (7), third in goals and tied for third in points.

The No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft had a breakout season in 2023-24 after being moved to right wing on a line with left wing Artemi Panarin and center Vincent Trocheck. He scored 28 goals — 26 at even strength — and finished with 57 points. Lafreniere then tied for the team lead with eight goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Quebec native has 155 points (79 goals, 76 assists) in 305 NHL games and 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 43 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Lafreniere glad to be staying with Rangers for foreseeable future

Lafreniere smiled when asked if he’d have any gifts for his linemates.

“They’re talking about it,” he said. “I will have to wait until I actually get the money to see what I do with them.”

Trocheck joked to the media that, “I’ll take five percent. Bread (Panarin) can take 10.”

When asked later what he and Panarin want from their linemate after helping him earn this extension, Trocheck chuckled and said, “Bread said a helicopter will do.” But what when asked what he wanted, he joked that, “I’ll just ride in Bread’s helicopter.”

Lafreniere will be 30 when the extension expires; he could have become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of this season. The new deal covers his last two seasons of RFA status and the first five seasons after he could have become an unrestricted free agent.

He could have taken a bridge deal and sought more money in a couple of years, but said he liked the long-term deal more.

“Seven years was good,” he said. “There were different options, but that’s the one we liked. Now you can really just focus on playing your game and don’t think about anything. That’s really huge for me.”

“It’s a good deal for me right now.”

Lafreniere said contract negotiations began to accelerate during training camp and heated up in the past few days.

“We were talking for a while, and I was just trying to focus,” he said. “The last couple of days it’s been a little more, so I knew they would come in soon.”

He also admitted that he’s glad the uncertainty about his future is over.

“You always think about it a little bit,” he said of the contract talks. “I’m trying to focus on the play, and I’m happy it’s done now, early in the year. I can just focus on playing now.”

Lafreniere’s deal takes away one major headache for general manager Chris Drury, who is trying to sign several key free agents while remaining under the salary cap for next season. The biggest is starting goalie Igor Shesterkin, who can be a UFA at season’s end and is said to be seeking to become the highest-paid goalie in NHL history after turning down a reported eight-year, $88 million offer .

Defenseman K’Andre Miller is also a pending RFA with arbitration rights who’s due a healthy raise, Veteran defenseman Ryan Lindgren also can become a UFA, as can forwards Reilly Smith and Jimmy Vesey, and backup goalie Jonathan Quick.

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