"For the past few seasons, the Rangers have been a team with some strong and highly touted young talent that has been stuck behind currently valuable and experienced veterans. For example, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere had been stuck behind Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, etc for the power play. Not only that, but it took a long time for Alexis Lafreniere to be guaranteed a spot in the top six. Kakko is now thriving ( and injured) with Seattle."
"Alexis Lafreniere has had an up and down career, admittedly not playing up to expectations when finally given a strong opportunity last season. But how much of the up and down has been because of his inconsistent minutes and non-existent powerplay time? Two years ago when the Rangers powerplay was clicking, it made sense. But last year? Nope. Braden Schneider could even fall into this group."
New York Rangers roster depth and veteran core often limit consistent minutes and power-play opportunities for young players. Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere spent time stuck behind veterans like Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider, delaying top-six and power-play roles. Inconsistent deployment contributed to Lafreniere's uneven performance, while Kakko found a larger role and success after moving to Seattle. Braden Schneider has seen mixed pairing usage between second and third pairs, suggesting additional opportunity might accelerate his development. Prioritizing youth and ensuring steady minutes and special-teams roles could better realize the potential of these prospects.
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