NY Rangers training camp: Alexis Lafrenière braces for life on the road and a bigger role

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. - The New York Rangers' team bonding trip through New England promises to be the first of many for Alexis Lafrenière this season.

His rookie season featured 28 road games, but COVID-19 protocols limited them to the same seven Northeast cities. A couple of those cities didn't require overnight stays — and even in the ones that did, the team was restricted with what they could do and where they could go.

There was little leeway to go out to dinner or explore, which made for a much different experience than a typical NHL year.

"It was a weird season, but it’s fun to get to (travel) this year," Lafrenière said following Tuesday's practice at Boss Arena on the campus of the University of Rhode Island. "To be with the boys on the road, it’s the best."

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The unusual season, coupled with the long layoff leading into it, made for what the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft described as "a tough start" to his pro career.

"But no excuses," he quickly noted.

He began to feel more comfortable later in the season, finishing with seven points in his final nine games.

Now, less than one week before his 20th birthday, the Rangers are ready to take the training wheels off. Lafrenière is expected to play on the top line with veterans Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad while also logging time on both the power play and penalty kill.

"It was a big summer," he said. "I got leaner, a little bit faster, so I feel ready to have big minutes. But I have to play good hockey for that (to happen)."

Head coach Gerard Gallant has reiterated that point, saying, "His play is going to dictate" how much responsibility he's given.

"(He) could still be playing junior hockey with that age group," Gallant said. "We're men in the NHL, and you want people ready every night and 82 games of the year. That's what you shoot for. You just have to make sure those kids are consistently ready for that and prepare the right way. And that's a big part of it, too. It's not just the game nights. It’s practice. It’s getting prepared for those games, and that’s what’s important for those young players."

In their first few weeks together, the new coach has observed a player he believes brings a high level of focus without forgetting to enjoy himself.

"He’s not cocky, but he’s loose – and that’s a good thing, as long as you can handle it the right way and be ready for the game," Gallant said. "He’s still a kid. We’ve got to bring him along and make sure he’s doing the right things. I like the veteran group. They'll help the kids out and they take care of that stuff with them."

It seems that Lafrenière has leaned on Kreider for that kind of guidance, noting that the veteran is "like a big brother for me."

The presumed linemates sat down to discuss the challenges of Lafrenière switching to right wing, which led to Kreider volunteering to make the switch instead.

"Me and Chris talked about it," Lafrenière said. "We’re still trying to figure out some things, but he’s good at right wing. He’s really fast and he has a good shot, so we’ll keep working together and trying to get better as a line."

With Kreider on the right and Lafrenière back at his natural left-wing spot, the Rangers appear to have their forward lines set heading into the new season. The youngster said he's learning Kreider and Zibanejad's tendencies more each day, but it remains a work in progress.

That bonding is taking place off the ice, too, with Lafrenière especially looking forward to a trip to Montreal on Oct. 16 for the third game of the season. He hasn't played in his home country of Canada since before the pandemic and grew up rooting for the Canadiens.

"But not anymore," he added with a smile.

Penalty kill coming together

After spending time on the power play during Monday's practice, the Rangers shifted their focus to the penalty kill on Tuesday.

The PK defensemen were as expected, with Ryan Lindgren, Adam Fox, K'Andre Miller, Jacob Trouba, Patrik Nemeth and Jarred Tinordi all being used.

The forward group featured some intriguing combos, particularly after summer trades of go-to penalty killers in Pavel Buchnevich and Brett Howden.

Kevin Rooney and offseason addition Barclay Goodrow were predictably used on the top unit, while the second duo featured Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko. The former was no surprise, but it certainly seems that Kakko will play a significant role after not being used on the PK in his first two seasons.

Ryan Strome has ample experience and was consistently featured on third unit Tuesday, with Lafrenière and Kreider rotating next to him.

"I didn’t kill that much last year, but it’s good to have the chance this year," Lafrenière said. "You're out there against the best players on the other team — always — so you've just got to be really careful (and maintain) good positioning. They're making plays out there, so just respect the game plan and play hard."

Gallant said that the units could still be subject to change, but stressed that he feels Lafrenière and Kakko are capable.

Asked if he appreciated the young players' willingness to contribute on the PK, Gallant offered a response that had both a hint of joking and seriousness.

"It’s not willing – we told them to do it," he said with a smile. "Those kids want more ice time, and they get the opportunity to do that and grow as players. We'll see once the regular season starts how many reps they’re going to get at it, but hopefully they're real good at it. They're talented, and there's no reason why they can't kill penalties."

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.