Alexis Lafrenieres Rangers role is growing and so is his output

TORONTO — The correlation between Alexis Lafrenière’s expanded role and the strongest start of his NHL career is evident. It wasn’t until his seventh season that the 2020 No.1 overall pick was deployed on the top line, skated on the first power play unit and logged nearly 20 minutes of ice time a night, almost every night, from Day 1 of a new campaign.  Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.

There’s no use in rehashing all the reasons why it unfolded this way.The logjam of top-six forwards ahead of him when he was drafted is well documented and the inconsistencies in his game that made it difficult to entrust him with such assignments are known. Through his first three and a half weeks with such responsibilities, however, Lafrenière has thrived. “I think he’s opened up — or developed — other aspects of his offensive game,” head coach Mike Sullivan said Thursday before the Rangers took on the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

“In particular, his grind game down low in the offensive zone.He’s always been a guy that’s been dangerous off the rush.

He’s a talent.He’s a talented player.

Rush offense tends to be talent-driven.But one of the things that I try to challenge him with, when I first became the coach here, was the better teams in the league a lot of times they get numbers back, they take the rush away.

So then what? How do you produce offense, right? I try to challenge him on his down-low game. “He’s a lean guy, but he’s hockey strong.He’s so capable of creating offense from below the goal line, hanging on to pucks, rolling off of checks, and making next plays, getting inside at the net and creating off of a loose puck at the net front.

He’s got a great stick.He sees it extremely well and he’s strong.

We’ve tried to challenge him as a coaching staff in developing that aspect of his game.I think when ...