Alexis Lafreniere, the former No. 1 overall pick by the New York Rangers, faces pressure as Matthew Schaefer, the latest first overall pick, wins the Calder Trophy unanimously. This highlights Lafreniere's struggles compared to other top draft picks.
Key points
Alexis Lafreniere is a former No. 1 overall draft pick.
Matthew Schaefer won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
Schaefer is the first unanimous Calder winner in 33 years.
Macklin Celebrini was the top pick in the 2024 draft.
Celebrini was named team captain for Canada at the World Championships.
Alexis LafreniereMatthew SchaeferMacklin CelebriniNew York Rangers
Why Rangersā Alexis Lafreniere must always face this uncomfortable reality
Danny Wild-Imagn Images
Thereās an uncomfortable reality for Alexis Lafreniere that comes with him being a former No. 1 overall draft pick by the New York Rangers. And that reared its ugly side again Wednesday, when the most recent first overall pick in the NHL Draft, Matthew Schaefer of the Islanders, was named the 2025-26 Calder Trophy winner as the Leagueās rookie of the year.
Thatās just the latest example of how Lafreniere doesnāt measure up to others also selected with the top overall pick in the NHL Draft. To rub salt in the open wound, Schaefer placed first on every ballot in the voting, the first unanimous Calder winner in 33 years, since Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne in 1992-93. Oh, and Schaefer, who has all the makings of a generational talent, and plays for the Rangers biggest rival, its home arena just 19 miles or so from Madison Square Garden.
Meanwhile, Macklin Celebrini, the top pick in the 2024 draft by the San Jose Sharks, was named team captain for Canada at the 2026 World Championships. This after he completed a 115-point season and is a finalist for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP.
Celebrini is 19 years old. Or one year older than Schaefer. Another generational talent.
Q&A
Why did Alexis Lafreniere's performance come under scrutiny?
Lafreniere's performance is compared unfavorably to other top draft picks, particularly after Matthew Schaefer won the Calder Trophy unanimously.
Who is Matthew Schaefer and why is he significant?
Matthew Schaefer is the first overall pick in the 2025-26 NHL Draft and was named the Calder Trophy winner, marking him as a standout rookie.
What does winning the Calder Trophy mean for a player?
Winning the Calder Trophy signifies that a player is recognized as the NHL's rookie of the year, highlighting their exceptional performance in their debut season.
How does Lafreniere's situation compare to other recent top draft picks?
Lafreniere's struggles are contrasted with other recent top picks like Macklin Celebrini, who has excelled and was named team captain for Canada at the World Championships.
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Then thereās Jack Hughes (2019 first overall) scoring the Golden Goal for the United States at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, to go along with five straight NHL seasons of at least 26 goals, including 43 in 2022-23.
How about a look at the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where Juraj Slafkovsky (2022 top overall pick), coming off his first 30-goal and 70-point season at age 22, plays a huge role for the Montreal Canadiens in their Cup quest. Right now, theyāre trying to reach the Eastern Conference Final, but first must get past the Buffalo Sabres and their captain Rasmus Dahlin (2018 No. 1 overall selection), whoās a finalist for the Norris Trophy as top NHL defenseman.
Youāre getting the point loud and clear, right? There are no awards, 100-point seasons, nor international recognition for Lafreniere. No one calls him a generational talent. Because he isnāt.
Hereās what Lafreniere is. Heās a solid, established forward, good enough to play in the Rangersā top-six forward group. He scored a career-high 57 points twice, including this season, and has a pair of 20+-goal seasons on his resume. He stood out in the 2024 postseason, tying for the Rangers lead with eight goals, when they ultimately lost in six games of their best-of-7 conference final series against the Florida Panthers.
That playoff run helped Lafreniere land a seven-year, $52.15 million contract, which led to even more scrutiny when his production back-slid in 2024-25.
Lafreniere is still young, heāll be 25 next season. So, thereās time for more growth. But heās not a superstar, never will be. In fact, heās not an All-Star either. Perhaps, he can get there.
And perhaps heād be better off playing for a team that didnāt use the No. 1 overall pick on him. Not that the Rangers were wrong to do so. Lafreniere was the absolute consensus top prospect in his draft year, coming off a pair of 100+-point seasons in the QMJHL.
Itās just that in the NHL, Lafreniere is a good player. Nothing wrong with that, especially if he was selected later in the first round. Just not first overall. Remember weāre talking about a legacy of top overall picks that includes Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Patrick Kane, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos, and the more recent selections already mentioned.
Heck, even Connor Bedard, the 2023 No. 1 pick, scored 30 goals and had 75 points this season, and hasnāt had fewer than 61 points in any of his three NHL seasons, despite rumblings that heās not all that heās cracked up to be.
But this is the burden Lafreniere carries. And the weight just gets heavier on days like this, when we dredge up his name because of the latest success of some other top overall pick.
