Player Discussion Alexis Lafrenière: Part II

[The Crypto Guy]

Sit him already.

Why??? What good will that do him? Let him just get the experience. The game obviously is a bit quicker than he can handle at the moment but him sitting on the sidelines isn't going to help him adjust any quicker. Let him continue to get the experience he needs out there and make the necessary improvements he needs in the offseason. It's becoming more and more rare for players to jump right into the NHL after being drafted and play well, it's no difference with him.

 

[LokiDog]

Why??? What good will that do him? Let him just get the experience. The game obviously is a bit quicker than he can handle at the moment but him sitting on the sidelines isn't going to help him adjust any quicker. Let him continue to get the experience he needs out there and make the necessary improvements he needs in the offseason. It's becoming more and more rare for players to jump right into the NHL after being drafted and play well, it's no difference with him.

I don’t think he needs to be sat long term or anything, but I don’t think giving him a game off to watch and be told “see that right there? You need to be going to the far post there. You need to be in the middle of the circle supporting the guy coming around the net there. You need to be turning and watching the guy up high here.”

 

[broadwayblue]

Giving any young player a night off isn't necessarily a bad thing. Some coaches actually do that as part of the development process. And for many of these kids it helps them with the grueling nature of the long season.

 

[Hire Sather]

Performance-wise there's really no question who should sit for Krav

 

[will1066]

I know it's easier said than done, but Laf needs to learn the NHL "dance". The game has certain patterns and small-ice moves that lead to opportunities on both the offensive side and defensive side. He just needs to learn and know where to be on all types of plays. Kakko is getting there with these things.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

I don't know what the answer is but i know he is a much better player than he is showing these days and I'm confident it will change by the start of next season when he is given a proper offseason, preseason and having a part of a season under his belt

 

[Chytilmania]

I see no harm in sitting him for a game or two for both the physical and mental rest. Too bad they can't sit him and have Knob watch the game with him when Quinn is back.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

No knowledge of this or anything but is it possible he had an injury and that's why he never went to world juniors?

 

[will1066]

I see no harm in sitting him for a game or two for both the physical and mental rest. Too bad they can't sit him and have Knob watch the game with him when Quinn is back.

because?

 

[LokiDog]

because?

Knob is banished. He has to be within the city limits of Hartford within 8 minutes of announcing Quinn’s return.

 

[broadwayblue]

No knowledge of this or anything but is it possible he had an injury and that's why he never went to world juniors?

He wouldn't be playing if he was injured.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

eh its not just him, Chytil has looked just as bad the last few games, that line just stinks. I know they don't want to break them up but Kreider hasn't really done much lately, I would try getting Kreider with Chytil and Krav/Goat/Kakko, and Laf back with Zib now that Zib is playing well maybe he can get Laf going.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

No knowledge of this or anything but is it possible he had an injury and that's why he never went to world juniors?

It's possible he didn't want to risk injury and because of that didn't play in the WJC.

He had nothing left to prove, winning gold and MVP the year prior, and if he suffered an injury it would have cost him millions, with his ELC sliding and only being RFA in 2024 in that case

 

[Chytilmania]

because?

Some staff member/coach to watch with him in real time to go over the game. Whatever Howden did he got a few points after.

 

[LokiDog]

Let’s call a spade a spade.


He’s been awful of late. He rarely shows anything anymore. Part of that is the line he’s on having no cohesion, but frankly he doesn’t have a clue what to do unless the puck is on his stick on the rush. He doesn’t know where to be on the ice, doesn’t support the play well, doesn’t actually look like he’s hustling that hard and clearly has a ton of work to do.

I have doubts that if he were in the North, for example, he’d be much better. Some more points, maybe some better confidence. But he’s simply not playing any semblance of an NHL game. We truly saw more from Kaako in terms of being NHL ready last year. His conditioning was an issue, he was a step behind plays, but he did know where to be and looked better in his rookie year than Laf has.

This isn’t a panic post. I’m sure Laf will be just fine. But we’ve made a lot of excuses for this kid, myself included (tons) and the truth is, he has only gotten worse as the season has gone on. Right now he’s clueless. I honestly think he would benefit from sitting a few games, and even if it didn’t yield improvement, I am certain it wouldn’t hurt.

 

[TheGortonConspiracy]

Send him to the minors. He is lost at this level 30 games in. You don’t want to break the kid mentally.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Giving any young player a night off isn't necessarily a bad thing. Some coaches actually do that as part of the development process. And for many of these kids it helps them with the grueling nature of the long season.

If you let him sit up high he will get a different view of the game. That and film work can really help slow the game down for a guy.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Rangers didn’t sit or send down Kakko last year and they’re not gonna do it to Laf. Optics are too bad. Just gonna let him sink or swim

 

[Hire Sather]

Send him to the minors. He is lost at this level 30 games in. You don’t want to break the kid mentally.

I wish it were an option. He is tied to his junior club unfortunately.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Send him to the minors. He is lost at this level 30 games in. You don’t want to break the kid mentally.

Can only send him to juniors, not AHL

 

[Rempe73]

You're not "offering the take it or leave it". You're trying to rub it in our faces that you're right.

It makes you come across as the only Rangers fan on the planet who is actively rooting against Lafreniere.

That's the difference in you and a guy like @KirkAlbuquerque . I don't agree with most of what he says about the kids, but he's angry and he wants them to be better. As a Rangers fan, I understand that.

But you're giving off a 'cat that ate the canary vibe'. Except you HAVEN'T eaten the canary, you only think that you have. We can all see the canary flitting around the room with as good or better a chance as all the rest of the canaries, to become the biggest, meanest canary. Then we look back to you, sitting in the middle of the room, grinning from ear to ear, announcing loudly that you have eaten the canary. But you haven't f***ing eaten him. I can see him right there; perched on the bookshelf. And we all own this aviary together. Why do you want to eat the canary in the first place!?

That kind of vibe.

Pretty much agree with you. Can’t stand the fans who seem like they want X player to fail just because it gives them a little personal victory.

 

[IronBloodedLion]

eh its not just him, Chytil has looked just as bad the last few games, that line just stinks. I know they don't want to break them up but Kreider hasn't really done much lately, I would try getting Kreider with Chytil and Krav/Goat/Kakko, and Laf back with Zib now that Zib is playing well maybe he can get Laf going.

I’ve said it in other posts, but I really wish that Chytil-Laf line had a solid vet to go with them. Chytil handles the puck like a grenade and Laf looks a bit lost. Having a guy who knows how to create space and take a bit of pressure off of the kids would really help them IMO.

 

[Chimpradamus]

Why??? What good will that do him? Let him just get the experience. The game obviously is a bit quicker than he can handle at the moment but him sitting on the sidelines isn't going to help him adjust any quicker. Let him continue to get the experience he needs out there and make the necessary improvements he needs in the offseason. It's becoming more and more rare for players to jump right into the NHL after being drafted and play well, it's no difference with him.

Well, it worked for Stamkos. When Stamkos struggled at the start of his career, the coach in Tampa actually sat him, asked him to observe a few specific things and wanted him to think of how he could implement that in his game. And he did.

A struggling rookie Stamkos still produced 46P (23+23) in 79 games though.

 

[GigaChad]

Well, it worked for Stamkos. When Stamkos struggled at the start of his career, the coach in Tampa actually sat him, asked him to observe a few specific things and wanted him to think of how he could implement that in his game. And he did.

A struggling rookie Stamkos still produced 46P (23+23) in 79 games though.

Didn't Stamkos actually start producing after that said coach was fired that season?

 

[Waterbuf]

I realize he sucks but could he at least get some ice time.