Agent: Lafreniere not focused on lottery

While Alexis Lafreniere’s fate may rest in the results of the play-in round, his agent, Emilie Castonguay, insisted Tuesday the winger is simply focused on being ready to make the leap to the NHL.

“Alexis is focused and training extremely hard at the moment to get ready for next season,’’ Castonguay told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun for the Athletic. “He understands he has no control over the lottery. To his merit, he is the type of person who doesn’t let things he can’t control [faze] him. He is just excited about joining a team and starting the next chapter of his career.”

Each of the eight teams eliminated from the play-in round will have a 12.5 per cent of winning the No. 1 overall pick, Lafreniere’s projected landing spot, in the second phase of the draft lottery on Monday. The New York Rangers became the first team to claim a lottery slot on Tuesday night after being swept by the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Rimouski Oceanic left winger was the undisputed and unanimous No. 1 on TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie’s Final 2020 NHL Draft Rankings, with 10 out of 10 NHL scouts surveyed ranking Lafreniere first overall.

The 18-year-old posted 35 goals and 112 points in QMJHL 52 games this season and contributed four goals and 10 points in six games to help Canada claim gold at the world juniors.

Following the first pick, the Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators will round out the top three selections in October when the draft is held.