Player Discussion Alexis Lafrenière

[egelband]

he was really good all around last night, points would be more fun and sucks hes not getting them but itll happen. had a phenomenal pass through traffic to a cutting miller for a great chance in the slot that didnt go, made a nice play to get to a puck and perfectly weighted a pass for kreider to skate into on a breakaway he didnt finish. those were 2 of the best passes anyone made all night, the miller one prob the best.

not to compare the 2 and he played very well last night, but look at panarin putting up 5 points. most of them were fairly benign movements of the puck that didnt have much to do with the goal...really none of them. the point isnt to take away from panarins night as he too was good and on the puck a lot which helps production - my point is those nights and points will come for laf if he continues on this track. hes shown the ability and were seeing a lot of progression lately, just part of the process.

also doesnt help we dont have an ideal setup for him. this line can work and the best spot for him now but hes a kid on his off wing - hes clicked with the line coming up ice and they create a lot of chances that way, but in the zone theres not the same chemistry / coordination. they keep the puck on the walls and even when winning one its either up to the point or roll it around for another wall battle. they havent put together an attack that finds chances in the middle the way strome/panarin can at their best. thats where laf and mika need to find a way to generate. laf will be awesome there, and he can improve, but the lack of that presence falls more on mika than him

Couldn’t agree more. I think I voted for him as a star of the game too. He was very visible and generally looked strong.

 

[IronBloodedLion]

He’s been playing really well since moving into the Top 6. I’m impressed he has the points he does without PP time.

 

[RangerBoy]

Also amazing how Lundell, Raymond, Höglander, Stützle, Seider etc didn't have to "adjust to the smaller rink" proving it's a bullshit argument.

If those players were Rangers, there is a very good chance most of them would not have the same production here. Boldy scored again last night.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

If those players were Rangers, there is a very good chance most of them would not have the same production here. Boldy scored again last night.

Yes. There's something fundamentally wrong with how young players are used and developed here. We are far beyond it being a coincidence of bad luck at this stage.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Yea everyone gets rushed to the NHL.

But the best part is we have people wanting Othmann in the NHL next year

Let them f***ing cook for once. Kravtsov will probably be the best of our kids because he's cooking.

 

[egelband]

Yea everyone gets rushed to the NHL.

But the best part is we have people wanting Othmann in the NHL next year

Let them f***ing cook for once. Kravtsov will probably be the best of our kids because he's cooking.

So many guys have been rushed. Coaches coaching to protect their own asses has crippled this organization. This year though I think that the kids have been given basically a regular shift and simple marching orders which is working. I know I’m in the minority but I think Gauthier has been developing and effective. As has Lafreniere. I know Kakko has been a mixed bag but he was injured. I’m not gonna freak out about him yet. Miller and Schneider have been amazing. Jones good too. Nils was a mixed bag but they sent him down for more consistent minutes and it seems to be paying off. I hate how Georgiev has been developed but I guess that ship has sailed. I don’t know what’s up with Barron either. But I’m optimistic that maybe the same approach overall is improving. I definitely hope they don’t rush the next wave.

 

[Anthony5967]

So many guys have been rushed. Coaches coaching to protect their own asses has crippled this organization. This year though I think that the kids have been given basically a regular shift and simple marching orders which is working. I know I’m in the minority but I think Gauthier has been developing and effective. As has Lafreniere. I know Kakko has been a mixed bag but he was injured. I’m not gonna freak out about him yet. Miller and Schneider have been amazing. Jones good too. Nils was a mixed bag but they sent him down for more consistent minutes and it seems to be paying off. I hate how Georgiev has been developed but I guess that ship has sailed. I don’t know what’s up with Barron either. But I’m optimistic that maybe the same approach overall is improving. I definitely hope they don’t rush the next wave.

The best is Kakko’s a play driver. His numbers back it up. Look at the Panarin and Strome duo’s GF% with him and without him. Kakko needs to shoot more and continue to mature physically. Nothing worries me about him.

 

[JimmyG89]

The best is Kakko’s a play driver. His numbers back it up. Look at the Panarin and Strome duo’s GF% with him and without him. Kakko needs to shoot more and continue to mature physically. Nothing worries me about him.

Lafreniere is also a play driver as well. Their best lines this year have him on them. The best thing is that they work extremely well with the top two lines. Lafreniere with Kreider and Mika and Kakko with Panarin and Strome. Kakko working with Panarin is perfect. It's why there is such an emphasis on fixing the 3rd line. It's a massive issue that once resolved is the teams ticket to contender status.

 

[NickyFotiu]

This board is funny. We have some posts saying that these guys are rushed and not developed correctly here. We have others saying they should be on the top line and PP regardless of how they play.
My take is they have played around the same much as they would in most organizations. They are developed the same way they would in most organizations. They are 20 years old. They are not a finished product. They are not producing as hoped yet. Don't twist cherry picked stats to make them like McDavid or Mathews. Those guys are not the norms even for #1 players. The goal should be a progression like a Hughes, a Huberdeau or a Hossa.

 

[RangerBoy]

Yea everyone gets rushed to the NHL.

But the best part is we have people wanting Othmann in the NHL next year

Let them f***ing cook for once. Kravtsov will probably be the best of our kids because he's cooking.

Othmann should be banned from playing for the Rangers next season. He plays in the OHL next season. 2022-23. He turns pro in 23-24. Spend at least 20-40 games in the AHL before getting a recall. Schneider needed 24 AHL games and he barely played last season with Covid.

 

[clmetsfan]

Lol.....hes a first overall..he was supposed to be great already

Yes, I too like to set player expectations based solely on draft position and nothing else. I find that it's a super rational and intelligent way of looking at things, and not at all cynical, naive, or shortsighted. Well done sir.

 

[Psycho for Perreault]

I don't know what some of you want. He's made CONSISTENT ridiculous setups that our guys aren't converting. If you can't see the talent there, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[bhamill]

Yes, I too like to set player expectations based solely on draft position and nothing else. I find that it's a super rational and intelligent way of looking at things, and not at all cynical, naive, or shortsighted. Well done sir.

Yup. That’s why Huberdeau was such a bust. Drafted 3rd overall and couldn’t even make the NHL till halfway through his D+2…. Don’t know why FL fans didnt run him out of town!

 

[EdJovanovski]

Yup. That’s why Huberdeau was such a bust. Drafted 3rd overall and couldn’t even make the NHL till halfway through his D+2…. Don’t know why FL fans didnt run him out of town!

His D+2 season was the lockout season that's why he played 48 games, the 2012-13 season was only 48 games. And he won the Calder scoring at a 53pt pace lol. Laf isn't even on pace for half that

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Othmann should be banned from playing for the Rangers next season. He plays in the OHL next season. 2022-23. He turns pro in 23-24. Spend at least 20-40 games in the AHL before getting a recall. Schneider needed 24 AHL games and he barely played last season with Covid.

Yeah but if you look at the investments the Rangers made already, and how they handled Othmann, it's very much in line with how they handled Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil. From what I have heard and seen, it really points towards the Rangers playing Othmann in the NHL for max 39 games (the accrued season cut off). They aren't as worried as fans about the losing the ELC slide, as it makes Othmann RFA a year early which could lead to a lower AAV.

It's the 39 game threshold that's the thing to watch here, similar to Draisaitl in his rookie year.

 

[bhamill]

delete

 

[bhamill]

His D+2 season was the lockout season that's why he played 48 games, the 2012-13 season was only 48 games. And he won the Calder scoring at a 53pt pace lol. Laf isn't even on pace for half that

Fair enough. 31 points and a -15 in his D+2. Why didn’t he make the NHL his D+1 season though? He was THIRD overall. BUUUUUUUUUSSSTTTT. And then his D+3 he scored FEWER points in 21 MORE games. SUPERBUST.
Obviously I’m being facetious. You all need to calm the f*** down. Hahaha.
Laf will be fine. Plenty of high draft picks have ups and downs, take a few years to really bust out. Look at the Great Kravtsov, 4 points in 20 NHL games (what he’s done outside the NHL pales next to NHL results) and now he’s in his D+4, and I’m still confident he can be a fine NHLer. Laf has played 113 games total in his NHL career. Pretty much every single one of his team’s games since he’s been drafted. He’s looking really good lately, you guys want to get worked up and despair, I’m just trying to help you even out. Haha.

 

[bhamill]

Holy moly. Just realized if Laf by some miracle scores 11 points in the next 25 games of this, his D+2 season, he will eclipse Hub’s point totals for his D+3…
hahaha.

 

[Irishguy42]

Yeah but if you look at the investments the Rangers made already, and how they handled Othmann, it's very much in line with how they handled Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil. From what I have heard and seen, it really points towards the Rangers playing Othmann in the NHL for max 39 games (the accrued season cut off). They aren't as worried as fans about the losing the ELC slide, as it makes Othmann RFA a year early which could lead to a lower AAV.

It's the 39 game threshold that's the thing to watch here, similar to Draisaitl in his rookie year.

It's going to be hard to send Othmann down after 39 games when he's on pace to win the Calder and Conn Smythe next season IYKYK

 

[duhmetreE]

I really hope he becomes more like Draisaitl than Huberdeau, in that he's more of a goal scorer

 

[The Crypto Guy]

It's going to be hard to send Othmann down after 39 games when he's on pace to win the Calder and Conn Smythe next season IYKYK

Will be easy when he has 1g , 2a and everyone on the board is crying we drafted another bust.

He will be in the OHL next season, as he should, and lead team canada in points in the U20 tournament.

 

[ReddestRum]

Holy moly. Just realized if Laf by some miracle scores 11 points in the next 25 games of this, his D+2 season, he will eclipse Hub’s point totals for his D+3…
hahaha.

And still 20 points less in as many games at the time, but cool.

 

[Black Tank]

What a f***ing embarrassment of a thread, the morons on here are the ones who get young players traded for 34 year olds.

 

[bhamill]

And still 20 points less in as many games at the time, but cool.

Cool. But staying in the lineup is important. Isn’t that one of the criticisms of Blais? You’re no use to the team if you’re hurt or being sat.
Listen, the point here is Hub is a great player, similarly drafted, and didn’t have a drastically different arc than Laf. I’m not saying Laf is or will be better, I’m saying that everyone freaking out or doomsaying after 113 games, where the player is actually looking good, would be well served to relax.
I don’t expect Laf to score 11 more points this year, especially if he continues to get no pp time, though I also wouldn’t be shocked. But yeah I expect him to have a better D+3 than Huberdeau had (28 points).

 

[ThirdEye]

Are there any advance stats for Laf out there for the last 15 or so games? I remember seeing some before his warm streak but would be nice to get some validation that he's been noticeably better lately.