GREENBURGH, N.Y. – With Kaapo Kakko out of the picture for the next month or so, this seems like an obvious time for the Rangers to give Alexis Lafreniere an extended look at right wing. And on Sunday, Lafreniere said he is ready for the challenge.
“It’s good to have a couple practices playing right [wing],’’ Lafreniere said. “And after practices, we just work on little things with Chris [Kreider] and Mika [Zibanejad] and it’s good for me. Because it’s not a big change, but it’s just small things that I need to do different.’’
Because they have only four rescheduled games to play over what was originally supposed to be the Olympic break, the Rangers gave their players got a full 10 days off before returning to practice Friday. That still allowed them four days of practice to get ready for their game Tuesday against the Boston Bruins, and Lafreniere, a natural left wing, has had three practice days so far on the right wing with Kreider and Zibanejad.
That line is where he started the season, though at the beginning he was on the left and Kreider was on the right. Entering training camp with Kreider and Artemi Panarin ahead of him at left wing, Lafreniere, a lefthanded shot, was either going to have to switch to the right side so he could play on one of the top two lines, or settle for being the third-line left wing.
He started camp on the right with Kreider and Zibanejad, until Kreider offered to switch so Lafreniere could stay on the left. Five games into the season, though, coach Gerard Gallant moved Kreider back to the left and dropped Lafreniere down in the lineup. After that, Lafreniere spent much of the season on the third line.
But when Kakko, who had been playing with Kreider and Zibanejad, went on injured reserve last month with an upper-body injury, Gallant had some reshuffling to do. Eventually, he decided to put Lafreniere on the right side of the top line for the last two games before the All-Star break. Lafreniere scored a goal in each of the games.
“I just think Laffy’s maturing, no matter who he’s playing with,’’ Gallant said Sunday. “We know he likes left wing better, but you know what? He’s going to play right wing a little bit. Same thing with Fil [Chytil]. Sometimes they’re going to play in a different position. And I think that’ll benefit them in the long run.’’
Besides playing with the team’s top two goal-scorers, who will be able to get him the puck in good positions, Lafreniere has discovered another benefit to playing on his off-wing.
“You’re always on your ‘one-timer’ side,’’ he said.
Lafreniere’s shooting percentage of 17.5 is the second-highest on the team after Kreider’s 22.4, but Lafreniere has taken only 57 shots in 45 games (1.26 per). Kreider said the second-year player needs to shoot more. Lafreniere said playing right wing may prompt him to do that.
“You’re always in a shooting position, I feel like,’’ he said. “So it might be good for me to shoot a little more.’’
Notes & quotes: The Rangers recalled defenseman Zac Jones Sunday … Kakko turned 21 on Sunday.