Player Discussion Alexis Lafrenière

[AirGut]

Imagine following Laf's NHL career and thinking he's brand focused.

he's certainly not focused on outplaying the top NYR brass so far, which I know isn't easy but if he was that type of #1 OVR with that drive we'd be sitting here questioning whether or not Kreids/Panarin should be moved down in place of Alexis because he'd be that good.
He already seems content with being what he is here in NY, a 3rd line checking forward. I want him to bark & bite with consistency, not disappear in the big moments. I've been waiting 3 years for that consistency and I feel slighted because nothing seems concrete.

I really blame Canadian media that year, they were infatuated with Laf

 

[huerter]

it’s game day and Josh Hart has an IG story about a Knicks designed car. He doesn’t have that dawg in him.

 

[DanielBrassard]

it’s game day and Josh Hart has an IG story about a Knicks designed car. He doesn’t have that dawg in him.

what do you think, has Lafreniere figured out how to hold his stick properly yet? Doesn't seem so.

 

[huerter]

what do you think, has Lafreniere figured out how to hold his stick properly yet? Doesn't seem so.

Much much better. I get cised when players make corrections like this. Ricky P, the best development coach in the profession imo, was on the Knicks pregame show talking about how he recruited Mitchell by showing him how broken his shot was. Even the best prospects have flaws!

 

[huerter]

Josh Hart now on Twitter 8 hours before the game talking about a 3 pt contest against an 8 year old. Not built for NY.

 

[EdJovanovski]

it’s game day and Josh Hart has an IG story about a Knicks designed car. He doesn’t have that dawg in him.

It’s not game day lol

 

[EdJovanovski]

skating and leg strength are still major issue with him 3 years in. it is also possible that he doesnt play 18-20 mins a game bc quite frankly he physically cant in this league at this level. i believe it was reported that he does not work with any of the major trainers during the offseason and he instead goes back home and works with his own people? if that is true it is time to make some significant changes and also work with a skating coach to see if he can add a step to his stride bc his skating is absolutely still an issue at this level.

The last thing he needs is the Rangers skating coaches/trainers because no one else can skate either lol

 

[huerter]

It’s not game day lol

For the canucks, no. For the Knicks, yes.

 

[jerseyjinx94]

Kid has been invisible this series. Need more from him, production wise yes but also the little things he usually does well

 

[bhamill]

Kid has been invisible this series. Need more from him, production wise yes but also the little things he usually does well

Agree we need more from him, needs to get on the scoreboard. We NEED that scoring depth. But he had two of the best NYR scoring chances the last game and has been finishing checks and backchecking consistently... not invisible IMO.

The last thing he needs is the Rangers skating coaches/trainers because no one else can skate either lol

Okay... THIS is funny.

 

[EdJovanovski]

For the canucks, no. For the Knicks, yes.

I thought you were talking about the Rangers lol, because I thought it was game day and then was disappointed when I saw we don't play until tomorrow

 

[bleedblue94]

The last thing he needs is the Rangers skating coaches/trainers because no one else can skate either lol

which is incredible bc for an org with the assets that nyr has they should literally be hiring the best of the best for these kind of things where there are no cap restrictions

 

[LORDE]

I mean he's been getting PP time in this series... he actually looks worse there than he does at 5v5

 

[CLW]

The last thing he needs is the Rangers skating coaches/trainers because no one else can skate either lol

Case in point, see Rantanen's improvement in skating over the last 24 months. He used to have groin issues because his edge control was so poor, and now he zips about the ice in Mackinnon or even Makar style. Clearly he is not at Makar's level exactly (before someone literal jumps on the comparison) but his stride is similar now and basically effortless where it used to be very labored. If Rantanen can improve then others can improve, which means the correct technique can and has to be taught (whatever "power stride" the kids are attempting is obviously not it).

 

[Crease]

Case in point, see Rantanen's improvement in skating over the last 24 months. He used to have groin issues because his edge control was so poor, and now he zips about the ice in Mackinnon or even Makar style. Clearly he is not at Makar's level exactly (before someone literal jumps on the comparison) but his stride is similar now and basically effortless where it used to be very labored. If Rantanen can improve then others can improve, which means the correct technique can and has to be taught (whatever "power stride" the kids are attempting is obviously not it).

Save us Barbara Underhill.

 

[ThirdEye]

He's looked pedestrian but I think he'll come around. I think people are expecting too much based on his postseason production last year - he's still only 21 and acclimating to playoff hockey. I'm honestly less worried about him than Panarin who's been a complete no show

 

[RangersFan1994]

He's looked pedestrian but I think he'll come around. I think people are expecting too much based on his postseason production last year - he's still only 21 and acclimating to playoff hockey. I'm honestly less worried about him than Panarin who's been a complete no show

Panarin is making me miss Rich Nash. Panarin not scoring is not useful and hurts the team. Nash at least provided something when not scoring. Good defensive play and better compete and it showed.

 

[GENESISPuck94]

Imagine blaming the 21 year old that's been purposefully held back his entire short NHL career being used as a 3rd liner with barely any PP time most of his career while the coach puts superstars like Hunt, Vesey, Goodrow, and Vatrano ahead of him on the depth chart, completely neutered. Imagine then expecting him to suddenly be anything in this series other than what he's been relegated to all his career.

The Devils from the start, from day one of their careers, took their top draft picks and threw them on top lines, top PP units, stuck with them there through mistakes and growing pains, didn't cut their nuts off, didn't scratch them didn't bench them for extended minutes. They leaned on them as top players, and now in this series they are top players.

That's how you rebuild. That's how you develop players. Not this stone age "when it's their turn" bullshit.

Treat a player and develop a player as secondary and tertiary... then expect that. Don't be flabbergasted when they aren't primary players.

If we are blaming players in this series, blame the 11 million dollar man. Blame the guy whose supposed to be the top center.

I'll start blaming Lafreniere, Kakko, and Chytil, even Schneider when they're finally leaned on as premiere players on the team. Not while they're still regarded by the coach as an afterthought between the veterans' shifts.

Maybe Panarin will one day learn to get off the frigging ice when his legs have reached muscle failure instead of selfishly coasting and looking to throw the puck laterally through the opposition... and the kids can get a few extra seconds on their own shifts before sitting for the next 8 minutes waiting around for another shift, longer if there's any special teams play.

That all said, yeah, if some of his chances he's had went into the back of the net we'd be singing a different tune. And I've said from the start that this team won't win shit until the kids are the ones really leading the way. And that's being proven..But that also can't happen while they're relegated to the roles they're in. I can't throw them under a bus for this series. That's just ridiculous.

 

[bhamill]

The Devils’ 21 year old Mercer is 0-0-0 with a -2. I wonder if their fans are shitting on him and saying they should trade him for a mid first.

 

[Machinehead]

he posted a nice picture of his apartment and the city skyline during sunset the other night on his Insta story.
The first thought that popped into my head was, are you more infatuated with the city apartment view or the f***ing playoff game in front of you? I really worry about this shit, because if this was MTL and things were going as they have here, he'd be raked by everyone and he probably couldn't even leave his cozy apartment.

No quit in NY huh? Might be time for a new slogan with how comfortable some of these players are with the bullshit this past year. I hope I'm just overreacting like a schizo, I really do

 

[Crease]

The Devils’ 21 year old Mercer is 0-0-0 with a -2. I wonder if their fans are shitting on him and saying they should trade him for a mid first.

18th overall pick vs 1st overall pick. Expectations and development trajectories are way different. And for what it’s worth, Mercer and several other players from his draft have already surpassed Lafreniere in production rate.

I’m not advocating to trade Lafreniere, but his career so far has been a massive disappointment for his draft slot.

 

[jerseyjinx94]

18th overall pick vs 1st overall pick. Expectations and development trajectories are way different. And for what it’s worth, Mercer and several other players from his draft have already surpassed Lafreniere in production rate.

We are 3 years out of the draft. Lafreniere already has not met expectations, for whatever reason (him, the team’s usage, both). You have to move past that and focus on the player’s current state of development.

 

[Machinehead]

We are 3 years out of the draft. Lafreniere already has not met expectations, for whatever reason (him, the team’s usage, both). You have to move past that and focus on the player’s current state of development.

I'm more on board with that with Kakko, who I think will be good later on like Zibanejad and Kreider were.

I really don't think Lafreniere is any better than he was day 1.

 

[GENESISPuck94]

18th overall pick vs 1st overall pick. Expectations and development trajectories are way different. And for what it’s worth, Mercer and several other players from his draft have already surpassed Lafreniere in production rate.

I’m not advocating to trade Lafreniere, but his career so far has been a massive disappointment for his draft slot.

Except our #1 overall pick has been purposely developed as a 3rd line 18th overall pick.

I'm more on board with that with Kakko, who I think will be good later on like Zibanejad and Kreider were.

I really don't think Lafreniere is any better than he was day 1.

He scored 19 EV goals last year. He surpassed his points totals this year.

He's still relegated to the 3rd line.

 

[McRanger]

I'm more on board with that with Kakko, who I think will be good later on like Zibanejad and Kreider were.

I really don't think Lafreniere is any better than he was day 1.

I think he'll be fine but I don't know if he'll ever be fine here.

He's still growing into his frame and I think his average speed would look much better on a team with a decent transition where everyone doesn't look like they're skating in mud but his biggest problem is his brain. He can really shoot the puck (like really, really shoot the puck) but almost never does. He was a very good playmaker but all of his passes seem to be safe ones to the point where offense goes to die on this team; the handful of aggressive passes he makes he looks hesitant.

A lot of being elite is throwing sh** against the wall to see what sticks. You play to your strengths, act on instinct and have a willingness to make a mistake to generate high danger chances. As long as he has this "I am just happy to be here" mentality where he is content to just defer to others he is never going to be productive. Same goes for Kakko.