Player Discussion Alexis Lafrenière

[Raspewtin]

he kinda sucks lol

I really wish he didn't but he does. he does nothing well, and the things he could do well, he's too slow and has too poor of an ability to process the game to do it.

i've seen basically no improvement at all in three years besides last year's playoffs.

 

[TGWL]

As much as I hate to admit it, I think Laf might be served by a "conditioning" assignment. Two weeks away from GG would probably do wonders for his psyche.

Pretty sure Laf has to give the consent. He seems like a team player, but it takes some balls to go up to your number 1 overall and say "You look like shit. Go play 2 weeks elsewhere."

Laf was the best player on team Canada at 17. Yet Othmann is now better? People on here are hilarious

I still think players get drafted way too young. 17/18, its so hard to scout these players when they look dominate against other players who aren't great skaters, physical players, or just overall on their level. You start expecting the world from them. Othmann can fire the puck better than Laf. But I can already see him struggling on the NHL pace. He improved his skating. It's still quite meh if we're being honest and next season majority of our fanbase will start shitting all over this and question why we can't develop players, or why we continue to draft bad skaters.

 

[B17 Apricots]

Laf hasn't lit the world on fire but I wouldn't get too worked up. Nothing has changed since the last time this was a big topic. It's still the same thing, this kid is pacing ~40 points. If he had a decent PP role he'd be a +50 point player and would be looked at like a 21 year old top 6 player. Heres perspective for some people, Lafreniere has 16 even strength points, the same exact number as Kreider, Trocheck, Tavares, Krejci... the list goes on and on. Guess some of the names a point below at 15... JT Miller, Buchnevich, Huberdeau... you could go on and on. DeBrincat and Stützle are point per game players, they have the same even strength numbers as Kappo Kakko and Brock Boeser at 14 points. People underestimate a bit how much powerplay time reflects on production. For some players half their points come from playing on the PP. So make of that what you will but I'd say we really don't have to worry much about the young guys, they'll be fine.

 

[LORDE]

Laf hasn't lit the world on fire but I wouldn't get too worked up. Nothing has changed since the last time this was a big topic. It's still the same thing, this kid is pacing ~40 points. If he had a decent PP role he'd be a +50 point player and would be looked at like a 21 year old top 6 player. Heres perspective for some people, Lafreniere has 16 even strength points, the same exact number as Kreider, Trocheck, Tavares, Krejci... the list goes on and on. Guess some of the names a point below at 15... JT Miller, Buchnevich, Huberdeau... you could go on and on. DeBrincat and Stützle are point per game players, they have the same even strength numbers as Kappo Kakko and Brock Boeser at 14 points. People underestimate a bit how much powerplay time reflects on production. For some players half their points come from playing on the PP. So make of that what you will but I'd say we really don't have to worry much about the young guys, they'll be fine.

Valid but it’s the same argument people have been making for 3 yrs now
If you watch the games you see zero improvement, in ANY area of the ice
I’m glad that he’s got ES pts that amount to other names in the league but the bottom line is that when u watch those players, they look dangerous or hell just good or NOT out of place.

Laff has been the same exact lost, out of place player he was since day 1

Aside from the dangle against Det last season I suppose

It’s not all his fault… the NYR mishandled him and others… it’s beyond CONCERNING at this point

 

[gravey9]

As much as I hate to admit it, I think Laf might be served by a "conditioning" assignment. Two weeks away from GG would probably do wonders for his psyche.

I would think so too, but the optics are a bit tough so I don’t even know if it’s something they’d consider but I agree.

 

[bhamill]

Valid but it’s the same argument people have been making for 3 yrs now
If you watch the games you see zero improvement, in ANY area of the ice
I’m glad that he’s got ES pts that amount to other names in the league but the bottom line is that when u watch those players, they look dangerous or hell just good or NOT out of place.

Laff has been the same exact lost, out of place player he was since day 1

Aside from the dangle against Det last season I suppose

It’s not all his fault… the NYR mishandled him and others… it’s beyond CONCERNING at this point

I actually do see improvement in his overall game, not a ton of flash but things like going to the front of the net or to open spaces. And I see flashes of high end skill, like taking a pass off of his back skate as he headed to the net, controlling it and feeding it to the other side for a goal. That was a play that impressed me, at speed in traffic.
Dont take this as me be SATISFIED. I'm not, I want more from him. He NEEDS to be consistent, and consistency in how he is deployed would be helpful in that as well. I'm not saying to hand him constant power play time over the high skill vets who were so effective last year, and who HOPEFULLY will get it together, but getting him (and Kakko and Fil) some PP1 time when the game conditions allow for it would be great for development too. There's confidence that comes from that and I think we can all agree that confidence goes a LONG way.
Personally I'm not very concerned that the end product will not be a top flight player, but I'll fully admit I was sure hoping he'd be further along by now.

 

[chosen]

Amazing how many believe that a coach can be responsible for destroying a young player's career while other young players on the same team are improving. To me, that's an absurd position to take, not to mention an unproveable allegation.

Players affect the careers of coaches way more than the reverse.

 

[AceKing21]

At this point I don't know who is to blame for Laf's lack of development. Historically, the NYR suck at developing talent, and furthermore the kid rarely gets top 6 time or PP opportunity. I hate to write him off as a bust, but I don't think he's helping his case either. I just don't think he has adjusted to the speed of the game and has trouble with seeing things at the NHL pace. He really needs to exceed his 0.5 ppg pace for being a #1 pick a couple years ago. By year 3, you should be "getting it" and really imposing your skill level. It's just not happening and I don't think it will.

 

[NikC]

he kinda sucks lol

I really wish he didn't but he does. he does nothing well, and the things he could do well, he's too slow and has too poor of an ability to process the game to do it.

i've seen basically no improvement at all in three years besides last year's playoffs.

sure... and Kravstov sucks, Kaapo sucks (hes great now ), Chytil sucks, Gauthier sucks, Lias Andersson sucked, Lindqvist, Zach Jones... Next will be Othmann, Cuylle...

A 5yr rebuild, and they bring in coach that rides his 5 veteran players every night... because they need to "win"

It's time to realize this organization isn't very good a drafting and developing talent, they have no gameplan in how to construct a SC winning team.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Laf’s Rangers’ career in jeopardy imo.

Unless a team offers a prime all star I doubt Laf goes anywahere.

 

[Mike in Houston]

Here are some snippets from Arthur Staple's latest on The Athletic.

“He doesn’t seem to accomplish much out there with or without the puck,” said one NHL scout whose coverage area includes the Rangers. “When you watch him play it’s hard to find him out there, has little impact on the outcome. I don’t know if it’s lack of confidence but his processing seems a little bit of a step behind.”

But there seems to be some disconnect between the player the Rangers hoped Lafrenière would be and the player he is right now. Tim Stützle was selected two picks after Lafrenière in 2020 and went to a Senators team that had lots of room for improvement and for a top-six center to grow. Even as the Senators have bumbled their way through Stützle’s first two-plus NHL seasons, he’s established himself as a go-to player in Ottawa and a big part of the Sens’ future — the team signed him to an eight-year extension worth $8.35-million per that kicks in next season.

“When you watch (Ottawa) play, you notice him” said one of the executives said of Stützle. “Can’t say the same about (Lafrenière).” Stützle has 29 points in 30 games this season for the Senators while leading all Ottawa forwards in ice time at 20:09 per game. He plays in all situations. Lafrenière has 17 points in 36 games while playing 15:01 a game and getting scraps of power play time.

And worse for Drury: Talent evaluators around the league can see the problem, too. Lafrenière had every right to expect more opportunity when he came in as a heralded top pick and also every right to feel disillusioned that those opportunities haven’t presented themselves through two-plus years. But the expectations go both ways: The Rangers surely expected a hungry player who wouldn’t be content with third-line minutes and would do more to earn a bigger slice of the action.

“He has to decide what type of player he is going to be,” the pro scout said. “If it’s going to be a guy that is strong down low and take pucks to the net then that’s what he has to do consistently. I don’t feel like he has an identity right now. I think we saw a bit of it during the playoffs but then he got away from it.”

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Unless they move Kreider or Panarin while simultaneously convincing them to waive their clauses, they've got Drury's first pick as GM in Othmann breathing down Laf's neck just itching for a spot next year. Something's gotta give, and right now, for better or for worse, Laf hasn't given enough reason to not be the odd guy out. The good thing is he should still carry quite a lot of value.

You don't trade players like him because you'll spend the rest of your days trying to find a player like that. I realize he hasn't shown what he's capable of but ive said it all along its man strength and speed thats keeping him from playing the way he did his whole career, a power forward type. It takes longer for players like him and Kakko and Kakko took a leap this year, i expect Lafreniere to next year and the bonus with him is that he's always been a physical player with a good shot. I still believe playing him with Zibanejad will force him to be faster and the time is now so he could be better by playoffs. This team has enough talent that we should be able to move him and Kakko into places to succeed.

 

[bouds]

Hard to argue with any of those quotes. Feels like he's MIA most nights, 3 years in and no identity as a player.

 

[TGWL]

Laf hasn't lit the world on fire but I wouldn't get too worked up. Nothing has changed since the last time this was a big topic. It's still the same thing, this kid is pacing ~40 points. If he had a decent PP role he'd be a +50 point player and would be looked at like a 21 year old top 6 player. Heres perspective for some people, Lafreniere has 16 even strength points, the same exact number as Kreider, Trocheck, Tavares, Krejci... the list goes on and on. Guess some of the names a point below at 15... JT Miller, Buchnevich, Huberdeau... you could go on and on. DeBrincat and Stützle are point per game players, they have the same even strength numbers as Kappo Kakko and Brock Boeser at 14 points. People underestimate a bit how much powerplay time reflects on production. For some players half their points come from playing on the PP. So make of that what you will but I'd say we really don't have to worry much about the young guys, they'll be fine.

Nothing has changed is kind of the problem, no? Last season 67 forwards had between 40 and 55 points. We're going into 2023 where scoring is higher. We can find players who put up 40 points. He's young, but can we honestly say he's a much better player than 3 years ago? His skating is a problem. It's going to be a problem especially since the rest of our team isn't blazing fast to make up for it and buy him more space. Adding a guy like Laf to the power play means you're taking somebody else away from the powerplay. So now we'll be talking about how that player isn't worth the contract because he doesn't have powerplay inflated numbers.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

The frustrating thing is I thought he mostly played well on RW with Panarin.

Yet the team had some unlucky results and Gallant immediately runs back to what he feels safe with rather than sticking with it. Kid line he can bench and Goodrow in the top 6.

 

[LOFIN]

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Lets see how the kid responds in Florida on Sunday.

 

[Psycho for Perreault]

Lets see how the kid responds in Florida on Sunday.

Unless they win. Then he stays off the bench so we can develop Blais.

 

[SA16]

Unless they win. Then he stays off the bench so we can develop Blais.

So what? I already posted yesterday showing the other top 10 picks since 2020. Almost all of them have been scratched or played in severely limited roles at some point. It's really not a big deal. He'll sit for a game, or two, or three and then be back in there.

 

[Psycho for Perreault]

So what? I already posted yesterday showing the other top 10 picks since 2020. Almost all of them have been scratched or played in severely limited roles at some point. It's really not a big deal. He'll sit for a game, or two, or three and then be back in there.

It’s a big deal cause we are a franchise that doesn’t develop draft picks. We screw it up damn near EVERY TIME. Trouba has been responsible for 10000 goals against and he doesn’t miss a minute. Laf is not our problem right now. This is a stupid move that sends a stupid message.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Am I crazy for thinking we might actually trade him at some point?

 

[bigdog16]

he kinda sucks lol

I really wish he didn't but he does. he does nothing well, and the things he could do well, he's too slow and has too poor of an ability to process the game to do it.

i've seen basically no improvement at all in three years besides last year's playoffs.

Im sort of in the same boat. Why do people think he should simply get handed a top 6 role based on draft position. He has done nothing in his NHL career that warrants a top 6 role other than one cool move against Detroit last year. I don’t see it with him, just a very vanilla player to me

 

[bhamill]

Am I crazy for thinking we might actually trade him at some point?

Not that anyone is untouchable, but I doubt it. We won't get what we would want, especially considering the risk of him exploding elsewhere. It would be selling about as low as you can right now. In the future, beyond this season? Who knows?

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Hope he demands a trade. Rangers brass needs to be publicly embarassed for their incompetence.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

Hope he demands a trade. Rangers brass needs to be publicly embarassed for their incompetence.

What has he done to justify demanding a trade? He's lucky he's not riding buses between Lloydminster and f***in Flin Flon.