The New York Rangers locked up a key piece of their lineup for the next seven seasons, signing forward Alexis Lafreniere to a lengthy extension worth $52.15 million (AAV of $7.45 million).

But could he have secured more money had he decided to hit the open market in the summer? According to his teammate Vincent Trocheck, he sure thinks so. As Trocheck explained, Lafreniere essentially did the Rangers a favor by taking less money, via The Hockey News.

“I personally think he’s doing good by the Rangers with this deal,” Trocheck said of Lafreniere's newly signed contract.

As far as Lafreniere is concerned, taking a shorter deal and then waiting for the salary cap to rise to secure a heftier paycheck wasn't really on his mind.

“Not really. I think, you know, seven years was good. There was different options, but that's the one we liked, and we took it,” he said via Colin Stephenson on X. 

“I'm happy to be done with it and fired up to stay for seven years,” he continued. “I mean, it's nice to get it done and now I can just focus on the season and try to help the team win.”

Lafreniere, the first overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, is in his fifth season and has scored 79 goals with 76 assists in 305 career games; he amassed career-best marks of 28 goals and 29 assists in 2023-24.

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Rangers GM Chris Drury can now shift his focus to other upcoming contracts that need attention

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (8) celebrates a goal with center Vincent Trocheck (16) and left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) during the third period against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden.
Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Now that Lafreniere's deal is officially in the books, Rangers general manager Chris Drury will be able to concentrate on coming to an agreement with franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who can become a free agent in the summer of 2025.

Reports indicate that Shesterkin allegedly has already rejected an offer from the Rangers of $88 million, which would have made him the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history.

As if that weren't a stressful enough situation, Rangers star forward Artemi Panarin will need a new contract in the summer of 2026.