Rangers rising star has climbed to No. 14 among NHL players and prospects under 23, according to The Athletic. Lafreniere’s breakout season propelled him near the top of young NHL talent. He was placed in Tier 3 (NHL All-Star) by Corey Pronman, who ranked 155 players and prospects across seven tiers, from Elite NHL Player (Tier 1) to Middle of the Lineup Player (Tier 7). Nine players, including Lafreniere, made it into Tier 3. Notable names in this tier include Matty Beniers (No. 9), Wyatt Johnston (No. 12), and Juraj Slafkovsky (No. 15), along with prospects Ivan Demidov (No. 17) and Zeev Buium (No. 16).
After three average seasons, Lafreniere achieved NHL career highs with 28 goals and 57 points last season. The 2020 No. 1 overall pick also tied for the Rangers’ lead with eight goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Pronman rated Lafreniere’s puck skills as “high-end” and his hockey sense, compete level, and shot as “above average,” but noted his skating was “below average.” Pronman described Lafreniere as a “dynamic offensive player with high-end hands and vision” who initially struggled with the NHL’s pace due to his average skating.
The top four players on the list were in Tier 1, including Connor Bedard (No. 1), Tim Stutzle (No. 2), Macklin Celebrini (No. 3), and Adam Fantilli (No. 4). Tier 2, labeled “Bubble elite NHL player and NHL All-Star,” included players like Luke Hughes (No. 6) and Matvei Michkov (No. 7), who play in the same division as Lafreniere.
Lafreniere wasn’t the only Ranger recognized; teammates and prospects also made the list. Defenseman Braden Schneider and forward prospect Gabe Perreault were in Tier 6. Schneider, 22, ranked No. 50, is heading into his fourth NHL season, while Perreault, the 2023 first-round pick, was ranked No. 52 and will play at Boston College. Pronman praised Schneider’s defensive skills and skating, though he noted his puck play as only “good enough” for a top-four defenseman role. Schneider’s compete level was graded as “high-end,” with his shot and skating rated “above average.”
Rangers forward Will Cuylle and prospects Brennan Othmann and E.J. Emery were in Tier 7. Cuylle, who scored 13 goals as a rookie, ranked No. 132, just behind Othmann (No. 130). Both Cuylle and Othmann were graded “below average” in skating, but Othmann earned “above average” grades in puck skills, compete level, and shot, while Cuylle excelled in compete level.
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