Sullivan lays out three-part plan to unlock Lafrenière with Rangers top-power-play focus

New York — The Rangers’ new coach, Mike Sullivan, has unveiled a three-part plan to elevate Alexis Lafrenière, signaling that the 23-year-old will compete for a spot on the club’s top power-play unit this season. Sullivan described his approach as threefold: manage players’ workloads, rotate different unit combinations, and provide Lafrenière with a clear pathway to playing his best. He spoke after the team’s first training-camp session in Tarrytown on Saturday, outlining how he envisions unlocking the former No. 1 pick’s potential in the NHL’s most scrutinized set piece.

During practice, Lafrenière was kept in the mix with both power-play groups as the staff evaluated how he could fit on the top unit. The first group featured Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller, while a second unit included Will Cuylle, Gabe Perreault, Scott Morrow and Matt Rempe. In a moment of instruction, Sullivan told Lafrenière that he wasn’t moving enough, reinforcing the message that constant motion and varied looks are essential to making the power play more unpredictable. The intent, Sullivan said, is to give Lafrenière a real pathway to earn significant minutes on the top unit and to see how his skill set translates in different on-ice contexts.

Beyond Lafrenière, Sullivan emphasized that the Rangers will not rely on a fixed top unit forever. He said the staff wants to present a variety of looks—quads that include left- and right-handed players, different stick angles and positions—to keep defenses off balance. The approach aims to keep the primary power-play responsibilities from becoming a slog for any one player. "If we’re going to manage workloads appropriately over the course of the season, we’re trying to get the best version of every guy," he said. "Playing the same six or seven players in every situation would be unsustainable in today’s game." He cautioned that while certain players double as killers, that fuller workload calculation must be coordinated to protect the team’s overall effectiveness over long stretches.

The plan also reflects the club’s intent to balance the roster’s workload with the realities of today’s game. Sullivan noted that top forwards who kill penalties are sometimes asked to contribute in multiple roles, which can push minutes higher than ideal. The Rangers want to avoid stacking extra minutes on a single group and instead distribute opportunities so the team can stay fresh when it matters most. "When you look at the group we have in our top six, our top players also kill penalties. Well, if they’re on the first power play, and they’re in the top six, and they’re killing penalties, and they’re defending the lead five-on-six and then they’re on six-on-five when we’re chasing a game, that adds up to 22-plus minutes. We’ve got to find a way to manage their minutes. That’s big picture stuff that I’ve thought about."

The plan comes against a backdrop of New York’s recent history with the power play and Lafrenière’s development. The Rangers have a loaded man-advantage history, and the three coaches who oversaw it before Sullivan helped shape its identity. Lafrenière has finished among the Rangers’ top five even-strength goal scorers in all but one season, and team officials believe his power-play production could reach a new peak with a pathway to top-unit exposure. The call to place Lafrenière on the top unit predates Sullivan by more than five seasons, dating back to the franchise’s lottery win that brought the talented forward to New York with the first overall pick in 2020. The new plan is part of a broader effort to turn Lafrenière’s potential into consistent production. The Rangers have also stressed that Lafrenière’s development remains a priority as they build around him over the coming seasons.

Last season’s power play finished at 17.6% and ranked among the league’s lower tiers, underscoring the need for a more varied and dynamic approach. Sullivan and the staff have said the revised structure aims to create a less predictable attack and to better leverage the talent around Lafrenière, including players who contribute on the penalty kill. The team has held multiple discussions with president and general manager Chris Drury to outline the plan’s logistics, including how to sequence lines, how to rotate units, and how to protect key players from overuse while maintaining offensive pace. The goal is a more potent, versatile power play that can adapt to game situations and opponent tendencies.

Training camp in Tarrytown marks the start of a new era for the Rangers as they test ideas and push for improvement on a unit that has long promised more than it delivered. Sullivan’s message is clear: Lafrenière will have opportunities to prove himself on the top power-play unit, but the plan hinges on a broader approach that balances minutes across the lineup while preserving the pace that makes New York’s offense dangerous. The organization’s commitment to developing the 2020 first overall pick, combined with a willingness to vary personnel and attack styles, is designed to yield tangible gains as the season approaches. The Rangers will count on Lafrenière to respond to the challenge as they seek to climb back toward the league’s elite.

The camp includes multiple looks at different line combinations and unit structures as New York monitors how the varied strategy translates to on-ice results once the season opens. This early work sets the tone for a year in which Lafrenière’s development and the power play’s evolution will be closely watched by fans and analysts alike. As Sullivan put it, the core objective is simple: maximize the impact of every player while pushing Lafrenière toward his highest potential, with a power play that can adapt to opponents and game states while keeping key players rested for critical moments.