Rangers Head Coach Gerard Galant announced that the winger Alexis Lafreniere will be a healthy scratch for Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Lafrenière will sit for Samy Blais takes his place in the formation, by Gallant.
The 21-year-old skated with the Rangers fourth line in practice on Wednesday, and Gallant told reporters he wanted to see more consistency from the former first overall pick in the 2020 draft of the NHL.
“I want him to be better,” Gallant said Wednesday, via the New York Post. “Laffy had a few chances to play with good people and he played well sometimes, but it’s inconsistent. And again, there were a lot [Tuesday] night [against Washington].
“So Laffy might be knocked down today in training. I’m not saying he’ll be here tomorrow. I don’t know where he’ll be tomorrow. Sometimes that’s a wake-up call for the kids.
Lafrenière has 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 36 games this season. He played just over 13 minutes and went -1 in Tuesday’s 4-0 loss to Washington, scoring one shot on goal.
Overall, Lafrenière’s tenure with the Rangers had its ups and downs, as he tallied 69 points (36 goals, 33 assists) in 171 regular season games.
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