Alexis Lafreniere has a new opportunity on the Rangers top line

Larry Brooks

NHL

By means of Larry Brooks

If you’re on social media, you know the narrative that’s been created about Alexis Lafreniere: how he was lazy in the summer and didn’t put in the work needed. Like most accounts on social media, this one is on hold.

Lafreniere checks social media from time to time. And he told The Post after Thursday’s morning skate at the practice rink that he knew the story.

“I saw some of it, I knew it was there, but I didn’t pay attention to it or let it bother me,” said No. “I know how I do my work in the offseason. I work out at least five days a week.

“I don’t pay attention to what other people say about that.”

Lafreniere said he worked on his skating, edge-work and improving his lower-body strength in his offseason program coordinated between the Rangers and his personal conditioning coach at home outside of Montreal. The winger said Dawn Braid, the Blueshirts’ skating consultant, came to work with him several times over the summer.

“I’m trying to focus on my skating, trying to get better at that,” Lafreniere said. “Off the ice, trying to gain strength and gain speed. I’m focused on trying to get stronger and faster.”

Lafreniere has gotten strong enough that he was able to more than hold his own in a down-low, one-on-one battle drill with Chris Kreider in camp over the weekend.

Coming up on his 22nd birthday a day before Buffalo’s Oct. 12 opener, Lafreniere took the opportunity in his new career to switch to right wing to skate on the long line of the Rangers with Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.

That’s the combination assembled on Day 1 of camp by incoming head coach Peter Laviolette, and that’s the combination the Blueshirts went with in Thursday night’s preseason Garden match against the Devils. One week into camp, it looks like that will be Lafreniere’s spot unless it goes away.

“He’s quick to respond, quick to talk to, quick to coach,” said the Lafreniere head coach. “I think he’s very good. He didn’t come telling us he couldn’t figure out how to get out of the right wing. I don’t think it affects him much.

“He seems very excited to get the opportunity. That line is in place for a reason and for a purpose, so look at it. I think the more he does it, the more he sticks with it, that’s a chance he could get a look at in top-six or power-play situations.

Two seasons ago, the Rangers were shy of at least one top-six right winger when Kaapo Kakko suffered a midseason wrist injury that sidelined him for 10 weeks. Gerard Gallant, then the head coach, moved Lafreniere to the right with Kreider and Zibanejad to form a line without interruption of 20 consecutive games from January 28 to March 22, 2022.

The combination produced positive results across the board. But when the Blueshirts acquired veteran wingers Frank Vatrano and Andre Copp before the deadline, Lafreniere returned to the left side of the third line, reuniting with Kid mates Kakko and Filip Chytil.

That combination was missing last season. The Cubs formed a glorified third line but a third line, nonetheless. The maximum six minutes did not accumulate for the top pick in the 2020 draft. Power-play minutes were hard to come by in a year where Lafreniere recorded 16 goals (three fewer than his sophomore season) with a personal-best 23 assists and 39 points.

The numbers were decent given his ice time, but Lafreniere didn’t make a consistent impact. He was a healthy scratch in Tampa Bay on Dec. 29. There’s always more — or less — than meets the eye regarding the relationship between Gallant and Lafreniere. The coach talks about Lafreniere differently than he does about other players.

Thursday, Laviolette talked about the Lafreniere race, too. Different, that is, from the way Gallant did it.

“There’s a skill level that comes with him, his hands, his ability to make plays in tight spots, and the hockey IQ part of it,” Laviolette said when asked if Lafreniere pops as No. 1 overall when watching him skate. “I think he’s in a good place in terms of past development.

“Not everybody turns 18 and just smacks the league. It’s harder than that. I think there’s a process with him where, last year, he had his productive year. With that comes maturity, a different physical presence from an 18-year-old kid to the players we’re talking about who are 22, 23, 24. There’s a big difference in that.

This is more than Year 4 for Lafreniere. This is more than the first year of the second contract. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

“I just have to play well and help [Kreider and Zibanejad] play well,” said Lafreniere. “And to try to stay there hopefully for a long time.”