Seasoned columnist sounds the alarm on $52,150,000 NY Rangers forward's lack of production despite playing in star-studded line

Senior NHL writer Dan Rosen has expressed concerns about NY Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere's performance, especially while playing alongside star forward Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck.

Despite the talent surrounding him, Lafreniere's production has been disappointing. In his last 23 games, the 23-year-old has managed only four goals, with two of them coming against the Dallas Stars earlier this month.

His last two goals came during the NY Rangers' 5-4 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 19 and in a 5-0 win over the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 21. Since then, he has gone goalless in three games.

Lafreniere had a strong start to the season, scoring four goals and three assists in the first 10 games. However, his coring has significantly declined since then, and there have been numerous stretches during games where he was been virtually invisible on the ice.

Dan Rosen believes that Alexis Lafreniere should be producing more, given the caliber of his linemates and the chances that should arise from such a pairing.

"There has to be so much more to his game than he’s showing,” NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen told Forever Blueshirts on the latest Rink Rap podcast. “When you’re playing with those two guys in (Artemi) Panarin and (Vincent) Trocheck, you should be generating more, you should have better chances.

"He had done right at the post against Carolina (in a 4-0 loss Tuesday), didn’t go in, great safe by Freddy Andersen, but those are few and far between for him. And that’s alarming," he added.

Alexis Lafreniere's lack of scoring and overall impact is concerning, considering his previous success, including a career-high 28 goals last term.

Lafreniere, who's inked to a seven-year, $52.1 million contract, has accumulated 30 points through 13 goals and 17 assists in 50 games this season.

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What's next for Alexis Lafreniere and NY Rangers?

The NY Rangers have been dealing with inconsistency throughout the season. In their last five games, the Blueshirts have won two and lost three, including a 4-0 shutout defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes in their most recent matchup.

The Rangers are seventh in the Metro Division with a 24-22-4 record, totaling 52 points. They are five points behind the second-placed Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference's wild card standings.

The NY Rangers will look to return to winning ways when they face the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Friday evening.