The Rangers have some high-profile free agents. Although none of them eclipse the value of a potential top UFA goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin2020 first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere has finally established himself as the centerpiece of their top-six forward group. He will be an RFA without a new contract next summer.

While a report from USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano earlier this summer suggested that Lafrenière was unlikely to enter extension negotiations over the summer, that was not the case. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli said last night that they have been discussing various contract options for several months, including an eight-year deal in the $64 million range.

This offer certainly shows the huge step in the right direction that Lafrenière took last season. The two-time CHL Player of the Year was finally given a long runway in the top division Artemi Panarin And Vincent Trocheck last year after that Peter Laviolette took over the bench and scored a career-high 28 goals and 57 points in 82 games. It still wasn’t quite the level of performance most initially expected from him, but if his 14 points in 16 playoff games to end the year were a sign of things to come, he’s looking at another significant leap forward in 2024-25.

The Quebec native is just 23 years old (his birthday is today) and will play his 300th regular-season game tomorrow when the Blueshirts host Utah. While he only scored half a point per game during that time, he also had enough NHL opportunities in recent years to demonstrate a linear development path offensively. With a consistently positive performance early in his prime, an $8 million AAV could be a worthwhile gamble for the Rangers general manager on a long-term contract Chris Drury to keep the cost of one of its top players under control for the remainder of its championship window.

Lafrenière is in the second half of a two-year, $4.65 million contract he signed after his entry-level contract expires in 2023. An AAV of $8 million would be a nearly 350% increase over what he’s currently making.

The Rangers could probably shoulder it without too much fanfare. That would give them about $67 million for 2025-26, spread across 12 players. That would only leave $25.5 million to fill 11 roster spots, and the salary cap would be raised to $92.5 million. However, most assume they will try to take over as captain for the final year Jacob TroubaThe $8 million cap hit deal came after he failed to do so this offseason. Suppose they sign Lafrenière to a long-term deal of this size. In this case, it shouldn’t seriously impact their ability to retain Shesterkin and replenish their strength as they prepare to stay in championship contention for the rest of the decade.