Player Discussion Alexis Lafrenière: Part II

[huerter]

He's such a non-factor that Donny Hockey La Grecs calls him Lafeniere, without the first R.

 

[NickyFotiu]

You guys remember Erik Christensen right?

He was useless 90% of the time but every week or so he'd have a goal or an assist where you were like "when did we sign Pavel Bure?"

If Lafreniere were doing that, I'd be ok with it. Like, ok, not everyone is great right away, he's 20, but the talent is there.

What bothers me is that he does nothing. Like, at all. This was game 14 and I've noticed him less than 14 times. People say that with Kakko you see flashes. Ok, Kakko has his own issues, but I wish we even got flashes from Lafreniere.

The game is just a bit too fast for him mentally right now. That should not shock anyone. Not many 19 year old forwards excel.

 

[mas0764]

Bullshit.

They both need to play better to earn more ice time and teaching them otherwise is crap for them and, even more so, for their teammates. That's part of developing into a pro. Lafreniere is Mr. Invisible right now.

Nope. Developing Lafreniere is priority #1.

Feel free to make an argument that making him earn it is how to develop him, though.

 

[NYRangers0723]

He's such a non-factor that Donny Hockey La Grecs calls him Lafeniere, without the first R

.

. Ridiculous post

 

[Savant]

Dawson Mercer was also a 2020 1st round pick from the Q.

 

[huerter]

He's such a non-factor that Donny Hockey La Grecs calls him Lafeniere, without the first R.

You're telling me that if Laf was ripping it up then someone as esteemed as Don would be getting his name wrong?

 

[haohmaru]

Nope. Developing Lafreniere is priority #1.

Feel free to make an argument that making him earn it is how to develop him, though.

Then your priorities are all screwed up. Priority #1 is always what's best for the team and that usually involves a whole lot more than one player.

 

[mas0764]

Then your priorities are all screwed up. Priority #1 is always what's best for the team and that usually involves a whole lot more than one player.

Developing Laf (and Kakko) is what’s best for the team.

 

[haohmaru]

Developing Laf (and Kakko) is what’s best for the team.

"Lafreniere has played more games (71) and has scored more goals (16) than any of the six members of his draft class currently in the NHL. He and Ottawa’s third-overall Tim Stutzle are the only two players that were in the league for the entirety of 2020-21. And while Stutzle did provide highlight moments a year ago, it took until Saturday and the Senators’ 14th game for him to score his first goal of this season."

You should worry about it a little bit less.

 

[mas0764]

You should worry about it a little bit less.

That is possibly true.

 

[brians1128]

I think the kid really needs to work on his conditioning. I think he knows the game. He got away with it in juniors bc of the skill level. Kid is huffing and puffing out there.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

I think the kid really needs to work on his conditioning. I think he knows the game. He got away with it in juniors bc of the skill level. Kid is huffing and puffing out there.

I don't really think it's conditioning, I think it's mental.

He still has to learn that he needs to be consistently moving his feet. He's in noticeably better shape this season but he's still coasting that extra split second which puts him behind. Part of adjusting to the NHL that we always hear from kids is the pace. Everything happens so fast and for some kids it's more of a learning curve with how to consistently be up to playing at the proper pace. It's about constantly moving your feet so you're not a split second behind, which is the difference between being in the right spot for a chance, being back on a backcheck in time, being in the right spot to open a lane.

 

[duhmetreE]

I don't really think it's conditioning, I think it's mental.

He still has to learn that he needs to be consistently moving his feet. He's in noticeably better shape this season but he's still coasting that extra split second which puts him behind. Part of adjusting to the NHL that we always hear from kids is the pace. Everything happens so fast and for some kids it's more of a learning curve with how to consistently be up to playing at the proper pace. It's about constantly moving your feet so you're not a split second behind, which is the difference between being in the right spot for a chance, being back on a backcheck in time, being in the right spot to open a lane.

he's reactive instead of proactive. Even the team as a whole, we would benefit from attacking more

like you said, moving your feet goes a long way in that.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

he's reactive instead of proactive. Even the team as a whole, we would benefit from attacking more

like you said, moving your feet goes a long way in that.

Yup, 100%. Which is understandable and part of the process to becoming a pro. He's concerned about being in the right spot and making the right plays and stuff so he's waiting and reacting instead of being proactive and making things happen. Once he can start moving his feet and give himself a chance to consistently be proactive, it's all going to come together for him. Ultimately you need to be just playing and not thinking about what you're going to do. Laf is still thinking while he's out there, but I'm confident it's going to click at some point this season.

 

[TheDirtyH]

Unprompted, but reading a recent interview with the kings AHL coach and I thought he had some interesting insights as far as what those kids are being taught. Two quotes about Kupari and Turcotte in particular made me think of Lafreniere and Kakko:

Ras, it’s not that he doesn’t have that east-west game in him. It’s not that. But there were so many times last year where he could’ve just kept using that speed and tortured the other team. And he let the opposition off the hook way too many times, especially in the early going.

We all know where he was drafted. But I’ve been extremely impressed by how he’s carried himself in his process. What I tell him, and what I think that he ultimately believes, is that you were drafted to be Alex Turcotte. We know where you live, and where you thrive. And that’s down in the trenches. It’s at the net front. It’s in the corners. It’s doing the dirty work.
That’s why L.A. drafted you. But not many 18- and 19-year-olds, that their games thrive on grit and tenacity, are ready to make the jump to the NHL. You got to work through that and find your way against men who’ve been playing this game for 10 years in the minors, that they’re still up to up to par, defensively. You learn the ropes in the American League of how to play in the trenches.

Guys that work on the perimeter a little bit more often, the perimeter doesn’t change. If you’re shooting one-timers, that doesn’t change. But if you’re going to the net front, having to figure out how to beat Brent Burns at the net front, there’s a lot more to it than just dropping into the NHL.

Kupari and Turcotte are both really fast players, but like our kids, they're suited for heavy games, attacking directly, playing off the cycle and near the net. Especially the lines about how that changes more than playing off the rush or the power play when you jump from another league to the NHL makes it easier to understand how Kakko and Lafreniere still have a lot of room to grow and a lot of upside.

 

[duhmetreE]

Yup, 100%. Which is understandable and part of the process to becoming a pro. He's concerned about being in the right spot and making the right plays and stuff so he's waiting and reacting instead of being proactive and making things happen. Once he can start moving his feet and give himself a chance to consistently be proactive, it's all going to come together for him. Ultimately you need to be just playing and not thinking about what you're going to do. Laf is still thinking while he's out there, but I'm confident it's going to click at some point this season.

Is some of it attributed to a Quinn hangover? From reports he 'over coached', 'over analyzed' and micro managed a lot. Put an overwhelming burden on the players ( ie. see Panarin having fun again ) .. Like you said, you can't think and play. 'In the zone' isn't just a figure of speech... a 'flow state' isn't unicorns and cotton candy... Are they still over thinking their 'responsibilities' and ignoring the game that's unfolding in front of them? Fighting their instincts? IMO it is a big piece to the problem.

Just like a defensemen pinching, they need to learn to read the game, see the opportunities and take calculated chances. I really just want them to make themselves a threat offensively.... with or without the puck. Attack the middle of the ice. Find the soft spots. No more slow, reactive/passive, perimeter play. So 'rigid' in the system in fear of 'making a mistake'.

It's refreshing to hear and see Gallant's mindset... There's no doubt in my mind they 'get back on track' by the end of the season.

 

[duhmetreE]

I honestly have never been really worried about Laf and/or Kakko. It's really just frustration. I worry more about management tbh

 

[CLW]

Is some of it attributed to a Quinn hangover? From reports he 'over coached', 'over analyzed' and micro managed a lot. Put an overwhelming burden on the players ( ie. see Panarin having fun again ) .. Like you said, you can't think and play. 'In the zone' isn't just a figure of speech... a 'flow state' isn't unicorns and cotton candy... Are they still over thinking their 'responsibilities' and ignoring the game that's unfolding in front of them? Fighting their instincts? IMO it is a big piece to the problem.

Just like a defensemen pinching, they need to learn to read the game, see the opportunities and take calculated chances. I really just want them to make themselves a threat offensively.... with or without the puck. Attack the middle of the ice. Find the soft spots. No more slow, reactive/passive, perimeter play. So 'rigid' in the system in fear of 'making a mistake'.

It's refreshing to hear and see Gallant's mindset... There's no doubt in my mind they 'get back on track' by the end of the season.

It goes both ways. The team needs to realize they have assets in the kids too and utilize them. Kakko, for basically the first time this season, finally had a center to work with at center ice for his goal. Kakko practices that exact give and go pass he had with Strome a lot in the summers with Rantanen. That area of the ice is so underutilized by the Rangers, use it and free up Panarin on the other side who is double teamed most of the time. Everyone knows the Rangers want to go through Panarin when he is on the ice. Rantanen scores a lot from the rw slot, so does Draisaitl, make Kakko a force there too.

The second point is Kakko's comment after the Devil's game. Kakko said he feels the coach trusts him because he hasn't been moved off Panarin's line... I mean how come it's only now that Kakko starts to be able to let his shoulders down a little and breathe?

I feel Laf is, or was, in a similar situation. Look at Raymond and Seider. They knew exactly what their roles were coming into the league with the Red Wings. Laf on the other hand... he was set up to play with Zib + Kreider, again it became a 2+1 situation where his role was, to me at least, muzzy.

Third point is it was good to see PP2 get a goal. Like with everything else the PP2 needs time to gel and get going in a game situation too. 20 seconds as an afterthought is hardly ideal.

 

[duhmetreE]

I'm just saying.... Messier moving to Center worked out well.

honestly I just dont like him coming down the left wall