Lafrenière Holds Key to Rangers' Lineup as Sullivan Takes Over

More than five years after the New York Rangers won the 2020 lottery and drafted Alexis Lafrenière first overall, the roster puzzle remains the same: with Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider on the left, should the Rangers stack their left wings or shift Lafrenière to the right to ensure he earns top-six minutes? The debate has framed the franchise through the tenure of three NHL head coaches—David Quinn, Gerard Gallant and Peter Laviolette—and now lands with a fourth, Mike Sullivan, who will decide how Lafrenière fits in as the club moves into camp.

“We’ve been talking about this for so long, haven’t we?” Lafrenière said in a conversation with The Post after Thursday’s first training camp session. “I’m honestly comfortable on both sides. After two years on the right, you get used to it, getting reps. It doesn’t make a big difference to me. Wherever they need me, I’ll be ready.”

The Rangers already have a left-side core in Panarin and Kreider, and the question now is whether Lafrenière’s development should be supported by keeping him on the left or giving him a run on the right to secure a consistent top-six role. The decision is particularly consequential given Lafrenière’s six-year arc with the organization and the uncertainty of how the lineup will be configured under a new coach.

New York has a history of shuffling lines and positions in an effort to maximize young players’ minutes while balancing veteran production. The team’s prior coaches—Quinn, Gallant and Laviolette—each faced questions about where Lafrenière best fits alongside established stars and emerging prospects. Now, with Sullivan taking the helm, the Rangers will determine how to balance Panarin’s elite playmaking with Kreider’s scoring and Lafrenière’s potential upside as he continues to grow into a full-time NHL contributor.

Lafrenière’s comment underscores a willingness to adapt. While the precise line combinations and position assignments will unfold as camp progresses and Sullivan observes practice and exhibition games, the general objective remains clear: unlock Lafrenière’s best path to top-six minutes while maintaining balance and consistency in the forward corps.

The backdrop to this year’s evaluation is a Rangers team that aims to leverage Lafrenière’s versatility and two-way game without compromising the strength already present on the left side. Sullivan’s challenge will be to translate ongoing conversations and growing experience into a coherent, productive lineup that can compete at an elevated level over the course of the season. As camp advances, the organization will watch for Lafrenière’s comfort, readiness, and responsiveness to the coaching staff’s guidance—and how that translates to on-ice impact in the early games of the campaign.