The New York Rangers recently came out and pretty much said that some of their players are for sale as they are entering a new era. It is pretty convenient that this era starts once Mike Sullivan is fired in Pittsburgh and decides to make a lateral move and go coach the Penguins division rivals.
If Rangers general manager Chris Drury is serious about selling some of his players, there is one player that should catch Penguins fans and general manager Kyle Dubas's eye. That player is none other than former first overall pick forward Alexis Lafreniere.
Fans might be wondering why Lafreniere would be the perfect fit for Dubas and head coach Dan Muse's lineup. Well for starters, Dubas went out of his way to start executing his plan and brought in forward Egor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Lafreniere is like Chinakhov where they are both on the younger side of their 20s and were taken in the first round of their draft years and both can shoot the puck well. The Penguins and Dubas have been looking for these kinds of players for quite some time now.
And if Drury is willing to talk to Dubas, this is the name that should spark some interest. Lafreniere had a career year so far in 2023-24 where he put up 28 goals and 29 assists in all 82 regular season games played.
HIs stats have dipped a little bit the past couple of years, but that does not mean he cannot find that scoring touch again on a new team. Muse does so well with young players as noticed how well he has done with EIGHTEEN YEAR OLD ROOKIE Ben Kindel so far this year.
Pittsburgh would be the perfect place for Lafreniere to find his game again. He would be able to play up-and-down the lineup and bring some more skill to a team that needs it with how many injuries the team endures each year.
As long as the price does not start with a first-round pick, Dubas should be calling Drury immediately. This is the type of player that Dubas wants on his team and Muse can do so well coaching him, it is just a matter of who Drury thinks is available and who is not.