The chaos that was the result of the 2020 NHL Draft Lottery means that the right to select first overall now falls to one of the teams who lose in the qualifying round of the Return to Play playoff format. We do not yet know which team will select first, but we know the eight losers of the qualifying round will each get a 12.5% chance at the pick. Lafreniere's position at the top of the rankings as largely been unchallenged. His numbers have lived up to the hype as well. In his draft year, Lafreniere wore the "C" for the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL and wore it well, leading the club in scoring with a total of 112 points (35-77-112). His next closest teammate, Cédric Paré had 88 points.
Even before his draft year, Lafreniere was tearing up the junior hockey scene. He was named CHL Rookie of the Year in 2018, QMJHL Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year (Michel Bergeron Trophy). He was also named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team and QMJHL First All-Star Team. His second season in the QMJHL followed the first with him earning a gold medal at the Hlinka Memorial Tournament, along with being named the league's MVP and Personality of the Year.
His draft year accolades were many, including being named the CHL Player of the Year (for the second year in a row). He was also named the QMJHL's Best Professional Prospect (Mike Bossy Trophy), and was named a QMJHL First Team All-Star. In addition, he led the league in assists and points (Jean Beliveau Trophy), was named the MVP (Michel Brière Trophy), and was the QMJHL Personality of the Year (Paul Dumont Trophy).
He shined at World Juniors for Team Canada, scoring four goals and adding six assists in five games as the Canadians took gold. He was named to the tournament All-Star Team, won Best Forward and MVP. He played alongside Devils prospects Nolan Foote, Ty Smith and Kevin Bahl in the tournament.