Rangers, Alexis Lafreniere agree to seven-year contract extension

Alexis Lafreniere’s hot start to the season has been rewarded by the Rangers, who announced late Friday night that they have agreed to terms on a seven-year contract extension with the 23-year-old winger, a deal reportedly worth a total of $52.15 million.

The agreement begins in 2025-26 and carries an average annual value of $7.45 million. It reportedly includes limited trade protection in the later years of the deal.

The website PuckPedia said Lafreniere will get an $8 million signing bonus and $2 million salary in the first year of the deal and will get an eight-team no-trade list in years 3 through 7.

Lafreniere, who scored the only goal for the Rangers in their 3-1 loss to the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, has four goals and three assists in the team’s first seven games.

Earlier this season, Lafreniere told Newsday that being in the final year of his contract wasn’t extra motivation for him to produce big numbers this season.

“No, I’m just playing my game,’’ he said. “Nothing crazy.’’

Lafreniere’s game has become more important to the Rangers, and locking him up long-term was a major task for general manager Chris Drury. The 2020 No. 1 overall pick broke out last season, his fourth in the NHL, with career highs in goals (28), assists (29) and points (57). His eight playoff goals were tied for the team high with linemate Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider.

“He was a top player for us in the playoffs, and I think that has to do with how he built the year, and the confidence that he gained from that,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said in Montreal this week. “And I don’t see that changing.’’

With several players in the final year of their contracts, signing Lafreniere to what looks like a team-friendly number is huge for Drury as he continues to negotiate a new deal with his No. 1 priority, goalie Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin will be an unrestricted free agent July 1 and reportedly is seeking a $12 million annual average, which would make him the highest-paid NHL goalie ever and the highest-paid Ranger.

Signing Shesterkin is the biggest task, because the more he gets, the less will be left available under the salary cap for everyone else. First-pair defenseman K’Andre Miller, a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer, is next on the priority list, followed by defenseman Ryan Lindgren, forwards Reilly Smith and Jimmy Vesey, and goalie Jonathan Quick, all set to be UFAs.

Notes & quotes: D Chad Ruhwedel cleared waivers and was assigned to AHL Hartford. Forward Matt Rempe, who was assigned to Hartford after Thursday’s game, was set to play for the Wolf Pack on Friday, Laviolette said. He was going to play center . . . Quick was the first goalie off at practice, indicating he likely will start Saturday against the Ducks . . . The NHL overnight awarded a secondary assist to Artemi Panarin on Lafreniere’s goal Thursday. The assist means Panarin’s season-opening point streak stands at seven games.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.