Player Discussion Alexis Lafrenière: Part II

[will1066]

This is a good highlight video of Lafreniere if anyone is interested:



Can’t help but smile. I still can’t believe we got him.

He's got a wicked shot, both forehand and backhand. And seems to like to torment Rask.

 

[huerter]

 

[NYRFANMANI]

Yeah, that condensed video is total gravy. The level of execution at 19 is f***ing nuts.

Me personally, I was a big Byfield guy, but no complaints here. Just hope there is no ceiling to this kid, or to be real, I hope the ceiling is 8 years down the road.

On a different note, maybe someone saw something, an article or interview:

Has he Quebec as a chip on his shoulder? Like, he wants to make Quebec proud and are there loads of eyes on him? (later part is certain, I guess)

Laf means serious business. Just curious, what makes up that seriousness.


Ps: we did cover this, for sure, right?

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nh...-alexis-lafreniere-hockey-card-case-1.5929416

 

[rangersfansince08]

How do we think he will compare to Wright, Bedard and Michkov?

 

[Chimpradamus]

Lafreniere has shown some really good hands and puck touch, that's for sure. He's also competitive, but he ended up in a really weird scenario as a 1st round pick where he didn't get a prominent role on his NHL team. I think he did well in the role he was given. The only question is what his upcoming role will be. He has scored some highlight reel goals you don't see from a player in the role he was given.

Hopefully his hunger will move him up the ranks.

 

[TheDirtyH]

You've got a 1OA LW who's clearly a talented driver of goals and scoring chances at even strength and a 2OA RW who's just spent a season dominating as a chance suppressor and play driver. I really want to see them with Zibanejad in the middle. That 2 on 1 goal was a true highlight of the season, just unbelievable.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

How do we think he will compare to Wright, Bedard and Michkov?

Bedard/Michkov > Wright > Laf .... ??

 

[JCProdigy]

Lafreniere has shown some really good hands and puck touch, that's for sure. He's also competitive, but he ended up in a really weird scenario as a 1st round pick where he didn't get a prominent role on his NHL team. I think he did well in the role he was given. The only question is what his upcoming role will be. He has scored some highlight reel goals you don't see from a player in the role he was given.

Hopefully his hunger will move him up the ranks.

Rangers finished with the 14th worst record last season. That means they jumped 13 spots to pick 1OA. Previously, since the lottery began in 1995, the most spots jumped in the lottery to land 1OA? Four. Truly was a situation that never happened before and will never happen again under the new rules as only the bottom 11 teams are eligible now. Lafreniere was jumping into one heck of an outlier situation in more ways than one.

Still he should have received a chance at 1st PP time the 2nd half of the season and I believe it should have been at Strome's expense. Sub out a guy not in their long term plans (at least shouldn't be) for one that is (at least should be).

 

[Tawnos]

Rangers finished with the 14th worst record last season. That means they jumped 13 spots to pick 1OA. Previously, since the lottery began in 1995, the most spots jumped in the lottery to land 1OA? Four. Truly was a situation that never happened before and will never happen again under the new rules as only the bottom 11 teams are eligible now. Lafreniere was jumping into one heck of an outlier situation in more ways than one.

This is such a weird portrayal of what happened. The only thing that's really accurate about it is that it was an outlier. Why?

-From 1995-2012, 4 spots was the maximum anyone could move up to begin with. That's 17 of the 25 years the lottery has existed. Mentioning those 17 years as if it's meaningful is strange. There were plenty of times a team outside the top-5 won the lottery, but didn't get to 1OA (i.e. the Devils moving from 8th to 4th).
-The Rangers might have had the 14th worst record, but they were 10th in the draft order. The Canadiens, Blackhawks, Coyotes, and Flames all had worse records but made it through the play-in round, so they weren't eligible for the draft lottery. Had they not won the 2nd phase of the lottery, and one of the teams below them in the order did, they would've drafted 11th.
-No team in the Rangers position has ever had those kinds of odds to get the pick: 25% that it would be a play-in team, and then 12.5% among the 8 play-in teams
-This specific set of circumstances never happened before and likely never will again, but it's not the first wonky one ever. The Crosby draft was pretty crazy. Still ridiculous that we ended up so low in that one.
-Moving from the 10 spot to 1OA is not the largest lottery win ever. In fact, it was the 4th year in a row a team moved up 9 or more spots. The Flyers moved up 11 spots to 2OA in 2017. The Hurricanes and Blackhawks moved up 9 in 2018 to 2OA and 2019 to 3OA respectively.
-It was technically team E, who was 12th in the order, that the Rangers got the right to become via the 2nd lottery phase... so even looked at that, it was 11 spots, which is not a record in the lottery... just a record for 1OA. I know that's what you said, but a 13 -> 2 move isn't anything crazier that a 12 -> 1 move. Though they're both pretty crazy.

What made it an outlier were the specific circumstances, not the size of the jump.

 

[JCProdigy]

This is such a weird portrayal of what happened. The only thing that's really accurate about it is that it was an outlier. Why?

-From 1995-2012, 4 spots was the maximum anyone could move up to begin with. That's 17 of the 25 years the lottery has existed. Mentioning those 17 years as if it's meaningful is strange. There were plenty of times a team outside the top-5 won the lottery, but didn't get to 1OA (i.e. the Devils moving from 8th to 4th).
-The Rangers might have had the 14th worst record, but they were 10th in the draft order. The Canadiens, Blackhawks, Coyotes, and Flames all had worse records but made it through the play-in round, so they weren't eligible for the draft lottery. Had they not won the 2nd phase of the lottery, and one of the teams below them in the order did, they would've drafted 11th.
-No team in the Rangers position has ever had those kinds of odds to get the pick: 25% that it would be a play-in team, and then 12.5% among the 8 play-in teams
-This specific set of circumstances never happened before and likely never will again, but it's not the first wonky one ever. The Crosby draft was pretty crazy. Still ridiculous that we ended up so low in that one.
-Moving from the 10 spot to 1OA is not the largest lottery win ever. In fact, it was the 4th year in a row a team moved up 9 or more spots. The Flyers moved up 11 spots to 2OA in 2017. The Hurricanes and Blackhawks moved up 9 in 2018 to 2OA and 2019 to 3OA respectively.
-It was technically team E, who was 12th in the order, that the Rangers got the right to become via the 2nd lottery phase... so even looked at that, it was 11 spots, which is not a record in the lottery... just a record for 1OA. I know that's what you said, but a 13 -> 2 move isn't anything crazier that a 12 -> 1 move. Though they're both pretty crazy.

What made it an outlier were the specific circumstances, not the size of the jump.

Totally misrepresenting what I'm saying but that's ok because I didn't explain it well. My post wasn't about the draft lottery really. Simply put: THE TEAM LAFRENIERE WENT TO IS THE OUTLIER. It's not about the lottery in of itself but the team Laf found himself on vs other 1OA picks. I was talking to Chimpasauruses post of Lafreniere's role on the team and quite frankly everybody has been comparing Laf to other past 1st overall picks and not other lottery picks.

 

[RangersFan1994]

 

[Machinehead]

Being an "analytics guy," I've always talked about the flaws of the eye test, I think that has more to do with bias and reputation than physical vision. People see what they wanna see and what they think they're supposed to see.

But when you think about it, in terms of seeing plays develop, we see the ice better than they do. We have a bird's-eye view of every player and we can see behind and around everyone. Because of that I'm usually not surprised by the passes players make.

This kid makes passes that completely fool me. And that's because he has that camera view of the ice in his head. Not everyone has that. That type of IQ usually ages well.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

I love that sweatshirt.

 

[ArPanet]

Looking forward to the growth in his extracurricular game

 

[Harbour Dog]

Looking forward to the growth in his extracurricular game

I'm expecting there to be an immediate leap in that regard next season.

Even in this season, when he was far from a driving force for the team, his main focus was on winning. He's going to be an important guy next year, and he'll start taking losing personally.

I. Cannot. Wait.

 

[Harbour Dog]

And to add to that.

When Lafreniere takes losses personally, then Kakko will, and Chytil will, and Kravtsov will, and Miller will. The kids will take his lead.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

Translation of the french questions (starts at 6:23), I'll paraphrase a bit this time:

Chantal Machabée: "Hi Alexis, you've evidently arrived in the NHL; with your accolades, the restrictions, it certainly wasn't easy. I want to ask you, in spite of all the happenings, could you fully profit from this season, did you have fun, what kind of experience was this?"

LAF "As you said, it was super different, but nonetheless I think it was an enriching experience. I learned a lot, whether from the guys, the trainers or playing against men every night. I think my second half of the season was much better, proving I started to feel a bit more comfortable out there. Certainly different, the pandemic made for a difficult season, regardless I developed a lot and look to grow more in preparation of next season."

JF: "It's never easy for an 18/19 y old to step in to the league, but you had a long time off the ice, you haven't played since March (2019). How much did that affect your start to the season?"

LAF: "It certainly had an impact, (can't hide it/ I won't hide), but I was training and skating. Everybody was on the same page/communicating. It was up to me to be prepared and as I said, I learned a lot, even with the difficult start to the season; (because/once) I found more confidence, I think I really played better hockey."

---

Just to give you an impression, if you want to understand how Quebecois sounds to someone that can speak French. It's kinda like listening to Boomhauer and his extended family from King of the Hill.

 

[CasusBelli]

Translation of the french questions (starts at 6:23), I'll paraphrase a bit this time:

Chantal Machabée: "Hi Alexis, you've evidently arrived in the NHL; with your accolades, the restrictions, it certainly wasn't easy. I want to ask you, in spite of all the happenings, could you fully profit from this season, did you have fun, what kind of experience was this?"

LAF "As you said, it was super different, but nonetheless I think it was an enriching experience. I learned a lot, whether from the guys, the trainers or playing against men every night. I think my second half of the season was much better, proving I started to feel a bit more comfortable out there. Certainly different, the pandemic made for a difficult season, regardless I developed a lot and look to grow more in preparation of next season."

JF: "It's never easy for an 18/19 y old to step in to the league, but you had a long time off the ice, you haven't played since March (2019). How much did that affect your start to the season?"

LAF: "It certainly had an impact, (can't hide it/ I won't hide), but I was training and skating. Everybody was on the same page/communicating. It was up to me to be prepared and as I said, I learned a lot, even with the difficult start to the season; (because/once) I found more confidence, I think I really played better hockey."

---

Just to give you an impression, if you want to understand how Quebecois sounds to someone that can speak French. It's kinda like listening to Boomhauer and his extended family from King of the Hill.

I grew up in a French and German speaking household. To this day I can understand more Dutch than québécois.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Rangers finished with the 14th worst record last season. That means they jumped 13 spots to pick 1OA. Previously, since the lottery began in 1995, the most spots jumped in the lottery to land 1OA? Four. Truly was a situation that never happened before and will never happen again under the new rules as only the bottom 11 teams are eligible now. Lafreniere was jumping into one heck of an outlier situation in more ways than one.

Still he should have received a chance at 1st PP time the 2nd half of the season and I believe it should have been at Strome's expense. Sub out a guy not in their long term plans (at least shouldn't be) for one that is (at least should be).

Not taking away the meaning of your post just wanting to clarify the new draft rules.
The 2 in 5 year rule and the maximum 10 places advance rule will not take place until the 2022/23 draft.
So technically, though the odds don’t favor it, the Rangers could draft 1OA again this year and it would not count against the rule stating a team can only win the lottery 2 times in a 5 year period.

 

[JCProdigy]

Not taking away the meaning of your post just wanting to clarify the new draft rules.
The 2 in 5 year rule and the maximum 10 places advance rule will not take place until the 2022/23 draft.
So technically, though the odds don’t favor it, the Rangers could draft 1OA again this year and it would not count against the rule stating a team can only win the lottery 2 times in a 5 year period.

Good catch. Only the reduction of lottery drawings from 3 to 2 takes place this year.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

I grew up in a French and German speaking household. To this day I can understand more Dutch than québécois.

That's awesome! I was fortunate enough to encounter a quebeci exchange student. We learned some of the intricacies. But I'm not gonna lie, I have to listen multiple times and even then, there are parts that are just straight gibberish. xD

 

[CasusBelli]

That's awesome! I was fortunate enough to encounter a quebeci exchange student. We learned some of the intricacies. But I'm not gonna lie, I have to listen multiple times and even then, there are parts that are just straight gibberish. xD

Hold your nose while opening your mouth excessively and borderline yelling while sneaking in semi-anglicized words instead of French ones, here and there, and bam! Québécois!

 

[molotce]

Hold your nose while opening your mouth excessively and borderline yelling while sneaking in semi-anglicized words instead of French ones, here and there, and bam! Québécois!

hahaha man that truth... but really quebecois is to french what american english is to british !

 

[HallOfGreatness4]

I am really excited about this kid the more I learn.

 

[Ori]

He needs to play a center next season in my opinion.