#Alexis Lafreniere has ex-Rangers coach drooling

Only those who have operated in the cauldron of New York truly know what it takes to make it here. That is why it is instructive to pay attention to Tom Renney’s take on Alexis Lafreniere, whom the former coach of the Rangers grew to know and appreciate over the last three years in his position as CEO of Hockey Canada.

“He loves hockey, he loves winning, he enjoys people and he has zero issues being in the limelight,” Renney, who oversaw four Canadian national teams that included the presumptive first-overall pick of the Rangers in Tuesday’s draft, told The Post. “From his hockey ability to his personality, he’s almost made for New York. It’s a really good fit.”

The Rangers have previously selected 309 forwards since the 1969 inception of the universal draft. Steve Vickers, selected 10th overall in 1971, is the only one to win the Calder Trophy. Not one has been selected to an NHL first All-Star team. Lafreniere, who separated himself from an unusually strong draft class, could be a trend-buster.

“As a player, he’s the kind of guy who might not dazzle you individually the way that Connor McDavid does, but he’s extremely efficient, and all of a sudden there he is with two or three points and you realize that all five guys on the ice look good because of this kid,” said Renney, who was behind the bench for the Blueshirts’ immediate cap-era revival. “That’s the kind of player he is.

“He makes his teammates better. Connor is a great, great player, and Alexis is not Connor McDavid, I’m not saying that. But when Alexis is on the ice, four other guys are going to touch the puck and pick up debris that he creates. That’s part of his personality. He wants to be a leader and he believes making his teammates better is an important part of leadership.”

Lafreniere, who will turn 19 on Sunday, recorded a QMJHL-leading 112 points (35-57) last season. The Rangers won’t want to unnecessarily push him and add to the burden that accompanies the celebrity of being a first-overall selection, but he should compete for a top-six spot right out of the hopper. If Chris Kreider moves to the right and Artemi Panarin skates with either Ryan Strome (if signed) or Filip Chytil, Lafreniere conceivably could skate on a line with Mika Zibanejad. But that’s at least three months away.

Renney first encountered Lafreniere when the winger played for Team Canada’s Under-17 team in 2017. Only 16, Lafreniere posted six points (3-3) in six games, and was one point off the team lead shared by Xavier Parent, Ryan Suzuki and Dylan Cozens. Draft eligibles Dylan Holloway and Justin Barron, who might interest the Rangers at 22nd overall, were also on that squad.

“I remember him well as a 16-year-old with that team,” said Renney, who lives in Calgary. “He was good. He knows his talent and he knows his ability but he’s not over the top with it. He’s never obnoxious about it.

“He respects his teammates. That’s one of his great attributes as a leader. Back when he was 16 on that team, he recognized that there were veteran, more experienced players and paid them respect. You could see it in the way he interacted with them. That stuck out for me.”

Lafreniere played for Team Canada’s Under-18 team and then twice participated in the World Juniors. In last year’s tournament, already ranked first among draft eligibles, Lafreniere suffered what appeared to be a significant injury to his left knee during a preliminary round defeat to Russia. It was feared he would be sidelined for the remainder of the tournament, at least.

“Right away, he was insisting that he’d be back,” Renney said. “We’re thinking that this could sideways and we certainly weren’t going to put any pressure on him to play. We certainly weren’t going to jeopardize his career.

“We left it to Alexis, his family and his agent [Emilie Castonguay]. He made the call. He willed himself back into the lineup.”

Lafreniere missed two games. He returned for the quarterfinals. Team Canada won Gold, defeating Russia 4-3 in the final with the winger recording two assists in his team’s third-period rally from down 3-1.

“I might be repeating myself, but this is a quality kid and a very, very good young hockey player,” Renney said. “He’s humble, he deflects praise and shares it. He’s bilingual and fluent in both English and French. He’s an easy conversation.

“He’s a winner. It might take some time for him to grow into that role in the NHL, but he’s right on track. New York is going to be very happy with him.”