Rangers ink Lafreniere to 7-year deal with reported $7.45M AAV

The New York Rangers signed forward Alexis Lafreniere to a seven-year contract extension, the team confirmed Friday night.

Lafreniere's new deal carries an average annual value of $7.45 million, according to Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today Sports.

He was scheduled for restricted free agency next summer. The 23-year-old signed a two-year, $4.65-million bridge deal in August 2023 but set himself up for a big raise with a breakout campaign last season. Lafreniere set career highs with 28 goals and 57 points before adding 14 points in 16 playoff games as the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final.

He has followed up his strong showing with seven points in seven games to start the new campaign.

When Lafreniere's new deal kicks in next season, he'll be the Rangers' fifth-highest-paid player behind Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad, and Jacob Trouba. However, star goaltender Igor Shesterkin is also eligible for an extension, and he's reportedly hopeful of signing the richest contract ever for his position.

New York now projects to have approximately $21 million in cap space available before next season, but the 2024-25 salary cap has yet to be confirmed. The Rangers have only 12 players signed beyond the current campaign.

The Rangers drafted Lafreniere first overall in 2020 after a prolific career with the QMJHL's Rimouski Oceanic. He's notched 155 points in 305 games.