Source: Alexis Lafrenière, Rangers agree to seven-year extension

Alexis Lafreniere and the New York Rangers have agreed to a seven-year contract extension for the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, a source confirmed to ESPN.

The new contract for the 23-year-old Lafrenière has an average annual value (AAV) of $7.45 million and runs through the 2031-32 season. After three NHL seasons that failed to live up to Lafrenière’s high draft position, last season was a breakthrough for the Quebec-born left wing.

Lafrenière scored 28 goals and 29 assists (57 points) in 82 games. He was outstanding with 14 points in 16 games on the Rangers’ path to the Eastern Conference finals, tied for the team lead with Vincent Trocheck (8 goals).

In his fifth NHL season, Lafrenière has 155 points (79 goals, 76 assists) in 305 games. In seven games this season, Lafrenière has 4 goals and 3 assists, averaging a career-high 17:51 of ice time per game.

“It’s a confidence that contributed to him being one of our best players in the playoffs last year,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said earlier this month. “You have to have a certain level of confidence to try to pull off some of the things he did successfully.” [in the playoffs]. It seems like he picked up right where he left off last year as he played some very special tunes.

Details of Lafrenière’s contract were first reported by PuckPedia.