What a whirlwind it’s been for Alexis Lafreniere. Penciled into a top six role, Lafreniere finds himself on the third line after a terrible camp. It was assumed his lead competition would be Blake Wheeler, but in fact he was beaten out by Will Cuylle, who had a stellar camp and earned his spot. At least that’s what the narrative is.
The reaction has naturally led many to want a trade. But the Rangers should not trade Lafreniere, at least not yet. That was the stance before preseason, and 3 preseason games isn’t going to change that.