I'm happy for the kid but that's another "nose for the net" goal from Laf.
I actually do like the kid because I feel he and Kakko have been good soldiers. They play mature games, they care about defense, they get to hard areas.
The Rangers put the cart before the horse, I feel. Sidney Crosby was a snotty little brat his first several years. McDavid didn't know where his own zone was until he was 24. Ovechkin and Malkin never bothered with anything that wasn't padding their own totals. I don't hear any complaining. I've said this before; with exception of a Patrice Bergeron, I think it's overlooked how much star players in the NHL only care about offense.
You can always teach backchecking and frankly, you can always just sign a Barclay Goodrow. When the talent is there, you focus on that first.