MONTREAL — Take it from Patrick Kane, the first pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, who believes the Rangers’ No. 1 selection in 2020, Alexis Lafreniere, is on his own path.
Not just Lafreniere, but Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil, as well.
When it comes to Lafreniere, however, Kane can somewhat relate to what the early years are like as a top draft pick in the NHL: the hype, the expectations and all the noise that comes with hearing your name announced first to kick off a new draft class.
Both players, though, came into the league under extremely different circumstances, as did Kakko and Chytil.
“I think I was a little bit lucky, you know?” Kane told The Post before the Rangers faced the Canadiens at Bell Centre on Thursday night. “I came into Chicago, and it was like we weren’t getting many fans to start. They told us, if we start winning, the fans will come back. There wasn’t too much pressure, and obviously, I came in the same year [Jonathan] Toews did as well.
“So that was nice. I think once you start seeing the people come and how excited they are to be part of championship teams and following championship teams, I think it’s a little more pressure.
“But, you know, for these guys, obviously, they came in and they’re high picks, and they’ve got so many good players here. It’s not like you’re inserted into the first power-play, first-line role like I was. I think everyone kind of has a different path.”
There must’ve been an easier transition for Kane, who came into the NHL in 2007 and joined a Blackhawks team that hadn’t qualified for the playoffs in four years — and then missed the postseason again in his first season.
This in comparison to Lafreniere, who came into a Rangers team that was overdue to turn a corner after getting swept in the qualifying round of the 2020 bubble playoffs.
Both circumstances present their own sort of pressures, but Lafreniere’s was certainly a less-daunting situation.
Let’s not forget the format of Lafreniere’s rookie season in 2020-21, either.
It was a 56-game schedule, over which they squared off with the same seven teams, with limited travel.
There was nothing normal about it.
Between that and the fact that the Rangers’ lineup had already begun to take shape, Lafreniere could only do so much with the opportunities he was afforded and with where he fit into the team.
“I think if you’re coming in and you’re that high of a pick, obviously he was a very dynamic goal scorer in Junior, you’re probably expected to maybe get a lot more offensive opportunities,” Kane said of Lafreniere. “It’s tough, right? You’re coming in, and maybe you have to change your game a little bit.
“He’s playing pretty physical now, so I don’t know if he did that in Junior or not. I don’t think it’d be the easiest thing for those guys.”
It hasn’t been easy, and it’s probably been a slower progression than many would hope, but Lafreniere is figuring out his role.
With that, the points have started to trickle in. The 21-year-old wing had points in 11 of his last 18 games heading into the matchup with the Habs, his hometown team.
Lafreniere had also already matched the career-high 31 points he established last season.
Stats aside, the St-Eustache, Quebec native has brought a physically imposing game lately.
He was actually ranked fourth on the Rangers in hits with 122, trailing only Jacob Trouba (173), Vincent Trocheck (149) and K’Andre Miller (130).
The grind below the hash marks, the retrieval of the puck along the boards and the winning of puck battles have been the highlights of Lafreniere’s game in the Rangers’ last few contests.
“It’s big, it’s huge,” Chytil said of Lafreniere’s contributions. “In our line, we have our roles, what we do. He’s bringing this physicality, he’s bringing playmaking, scoring goals. It’s great overall. His overall game is very good. We just need to carry on like this. We have a lot of chances every game.
“Now, he’s scoring goals. Before it was me. Before it was Kaapo. It would be nice if all three of us would score two goals every game, but it doesn’t work like this. Now, it’s Laffy’s turn.”