Player Discussion Alexis Lafrenière: Part III

[EdJovanovski]

If Kakko and Laf are only Hall or RNH good there will be no Cups for us.

Neither are looking like they’ll even come close to that level. Hall & RNH were miles better at the same age

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Damn some of ya’ll are bumming me out with your negativity

Lafreniere will be a great player soon enough, most of these comments are going to look silly in a few years

 

[rangersfansince08]

Neither are looking like they’ll even come close to that level. Hall & RNH were miles better at the same age

Hall in his second season put up 53 pts in 61 (71 pt pace). Laf in his second season and Kakko in his third won't hit that combined.

 

[OrlandK]

Time to stop just saying Laf and KK will get there because we want that to be the case. Reality can be sobering. There is nothing about there play to date that indicates they will ever score even at Ryan Strome level.

 

[2014nyr]

watch the way laf produced at the world juniors and you'll see a big reason he's struggled to produce here. almost all of his points are created off possession in the zone, making a move into space and setting up a pass, creating a turnover into setting up a broken play chance, getting into a lane off the puck on a rush to take a pass and finish, or on the pp. he's played with mika, who is as erratic a center as their is and creates almost no extended possession that turns into offense aka does nothing that plays to laf. and the kid line with fil who is also erratic. they're better about getting pucks in the zone, but neither of his linemates finish any of his setups. and fil is so all over the place as a c they never play a consistent game, its here and there. he doesn't play on the pp - were barely. so basically the only strength of his game he has is the one we've seen, getting open off the puck on the rush and burying. i'd like to see him at least get a look with panarin/strome in one of these games where gg looks to mix things up late if not for a full game. its his best chance at production, and he's the kind of player that if it works might actually make them a threat in big boy games too. he'll produce in time regardless, but right now he's not in position to use the things he's thrived off of his whole life and he just turned 20...its not going to happen overnight.

 

[rangersfansince08]

Time to stop just saying Laf and KK will get there because we want that to be the case. Reality can be sobering. There is nothing about there play to date that indicates they will ever score even at Ryan Strome level.

Right people are talking as if top picks never bust.

 

[duhmetreE]

watch the way laf produced at the world juniors and you'll see a big reason he's struggled to produce here. almost all of his points are created off possession in the zone, making a move into space and setting up a pass, creating a turnover into setting up a broken play chance, getting into a lane off the puck on a rush to take a pass and finish, or on the pp. he's played with mika, who is as erratic a center as their is and creates almost no extended possession that turns into offense aka does nothing that plays to laf. and the kid line with fil who is also erratic. they're better about getting pucks in the zone, but neither of his linemates finish any of his setups. and fil is so all over the place as a c they never play a consistent game, its here and there. he doesn't play on the pp - were barely. so basically the only strength of his game he has is the one we've seen, getting open off the puck on the rush and burying. i'd like to see him at least get a look with panarin/strome in one of these games where gg looks to mix things up late if not for a full game. its his best chance at production, and he's the kind of player that if it works might actually make them a threat in big boy games too. he'll produce in time regardless, but right now he's not in position to use the things he's thrived off of his whole life and he just turned 20...its not going to happen overnight.

Panarin Strome Laffy
Laffy Barron Kakko

Until Mika gets his head out of his ass, I'd keep all kids away from him.

 

[will1066]

Time to stop just saying Laf and KK will get there because we want that to be the case. Reality can be sobering. There is nothing about there play to date that indicates they will ever score even at Ryan Strome level.

This font is sobering.

 

[Rangerfan4life90]

Right people are talking as if top picks never bust.

The issue would be if they both ended up busting, and badly busting.

 

[duhmetreE]

People who bust usually have major character issues or IQ issues. Laffy and Kakko dont.

 

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

People who bust usually have major character issues or IQ issues. Laffy and Kakko dont.

This is what I keep going back to. These guys have the personalities to persevere. I believe they will.

 

[2014nyr]

Panarin Strome Laffy
Laffy Barron Kakko

Until Mika gets his head out of his ass, I'd keep all kids away from him.

agree he's impossible to play with at the moment. should be sitting next to chytil

 

[LokiDog]

I don’t know. Watching Laf right now is rough. He’s a slowish roleless, grinder who looks like he’s flailing a lot of the time. He has no structure to his game and I don’t think he knows what his role is, which probably isn’t on him. My faith in Lafreniere, Chytil and Kakko is definitely at its thinnest. Kakko, at least, looks like a player. I just fear he’s one of those Dubi level producers at his peak. The other two are very disappointing so far. If we didn’t have the record we do, people would be much more impatient and unhappy about it.

 

[bbny]

Not gonna lie...while Drury shouldn't be making calls shopping Lafreniere, he shouldn't be hanging up either. You have to consider that it's possible he's a bust, and if the right package comes along you need to consider it. He's been a net negative presence on the ice since he got here. "NHL ready - 60 points right off the bat in his sleep"...

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Not gonna lie...while Drury shouldn't be making calls shopping Lafreniere, he shouldn't be hanging up either. You have to consider that it's possible he's a bust, and if the right package comes along you need to consider it. He's been a net negative presence on the ice since he got here. "NHL ready - 60 points off the bat in his sleep"...

No.

 

[Savant]

No.

No based on what exactly?

If he wasn’t picked first overall, there wouldn’t not be any attachment. Nothing on the ice has warranted it.

 

[Chaels Arms]

I don’t know. Watching Laf right now is rough. He’s a slowish roleless, grinder who looks like he’s flailing a lot of the time. He has no structure to his game and I don’t think he knows what his role is, which probably isn’t on him. My faith in Lafreniere, Chytil and Kakko is definitely at its thinnest. Kakko, at least, looks like a player. I just fear he’s one of those Dubi level producers at his peak. The other two are very disappointing so far. If we didn’t have the record we do, people would be much more impatient and unhappy about it.

Disagree with you on Kakko but agreed on Laf and Chytil.

More worried about Laf long term than I have ever been about Kakko.

 

[bbny]

No based on what exactly?

If he wasn’t picked first overall, there wouldn’t not be any attachment. Nothing on the ice has warranted it.

It's got to be out of fear that he turns out to be a franchise player. Major egg on face if you trade it. Legitimate fear to have. I certainly have it to some degree, but not to the point where he's untouchable anymore. I mean it has to be a really good deal, but it's not an instant phone hang up anymore like it would have been previously (to me).

 

[mas0764]

Not gonna lie...while Drury shouldn't be making calls shopping Lafreniere, he shouldn't be hanging up either. You have to consider that it's possible he's a bust, and if the right package comes along you need to consider it. He's been a net negative presence on the ice since he got here. "NHL ready - 60 points right off the bat in his sleep"...

Lafreniere is not getting traded. Is the offer he shouldn’t be hanging up on, like, Nathan MacKinnon?

 

[mas0764]

No based on what exactly?

If he wasn’t picked first overall, there wouldn’t not be any attachment. Nothing on the ice has warranted it.

But he was picked first overall, cause he has all that talent in there. This isn’t some guy you pawn off after a disappointing 82 games.

He has the best chance of being a contender elevating talent out of anyone we have who isn’t already an All Star.

This is where that stupid “earn it on the ice,” garbage rears it’s head again. You have someone saying trade Laf to keep Kreider, I guess cause Kreider has “earned,” it.

No. You play the kid over and over and over till he gets it. Don’t care if you lose. Thats why it’s a rebuild.

And it should have been the same with Kravtsov frankly.

 

[bbny]

Lafreniere is not getting traded. Is the offer he shouldn’t be hanging up on, like, Nathan MacKinnon?

You're right. He isn't getting traded because it's career suicide to trade him if wrong. If you keep him and he busts, nobody blames you. Drury would have to have some serious balls to take that kind of leap.

 

[Savant]

It's got to be out of fear that he turns out to be a franchise player. Major egg on face if you trade it. Legitimate fear to have. I certainly have it to some degree, but not to the point where he's untouchable anymore. I mean it has to be a really good deal, but it's not an instant phone hang up anymore like it would have been previously (to me).

Maybe? But that’s also Gorton’s pick, not Drury’s pick. And no you don’t give him away for chopped liver, but he simply should not be an untouchable anymore.

 

[mas0764]

Maybe? But that’s also Gorton’s pick, not Drury’s pick. And no you don’t give him away for chopped liver, but he simply should not be an untouchable anymore.

It matters exactly zero that it was Gorton’s pick not Drury’s. That’s a horrible way to look at it.

It was the Rangers pick and they need to make it work, even at the expense of winning games this season.

 

[mas0764]

And if you want to say we should trade him for like, MackInnon or someone else who is untouchable, that’s fine as rhetoric, but the Avs won’t trade their franchise player either.

And Laf is not getting moved for f***ing Jakob Chychrun one of the King’s centers or whatever the f***.

 

[mas0764]

Laf finished up last season averaging about 0.5 ppg with no PP time (so did Kakko actually). GG has gotta figure out what was going right with that….. ASAP.