2:34PM: The deal will include a no-move clause. (Lavoie)
2:01PM: Puck Pedia says that it’s a seven-year deal worth $7.45 million per season and buys out his final two years as an RFA and five potential UFA years.
1:49PM: Larry Brooks tweets that the Rangers are closing in on a seven-year extension with Alexis Lafreniere that will pay him under $7.6 million.
There were reports a few weeks ago that the Rangers and Lafreniere had been talking about an extension.
Adam Rotter: This looks like it could be a bargain for the Rangers as soon as next season when the contract starts. It’s not the full eight-years, but seven is the next best thing and may even be better as it lowers the cap hit to under the $8-$9 million it would have been with the full eight-years. This contract will end around when Lafreniere is 30 and should allow him to cash in one more time if he stays on this trajectory.
He deserves this extension and it ensures that the Rangers have another young core piece locked up for the future. The steps he has taken since the start of last season have been enormous and I think that the best part is that I don’t think we are even remotely close to seeing how good he can and will be. He’s producing at even strength and at some point he’s going to get on the PP and that should take his production up another level.
I wasn’t sure that the Rangers would actually do this until Igor Shesterkin signed, but I guess both sides came towards the same ballpark of what the Rangers were budgeting for Lafreniere and decided to make the deal. Shesterkin’s contract is still priority one, but the future of the left side of the Rangers defense is not far behind. K’Andre Miller will likely get a long-term extension and the Rangers will have to see what is left/how much they want to offer Ryan Lindgren to prevent him from leaving as a UFA this summer.