Player Discussion Alexis Lafrenière

[duhmetreE]

That was the year Panarin was a finalist for mvp.

ok.

 

[duhmetreE]

That's overly optimistic if you ask me.

talking about someones potential is inherently optimistic.

Saying he will hit that peak, is a different story.

Draisaitl being a 50-50 players wasn't even a thought to scouts/GM's/fans when he was 20 years old

 

[rangersfansince08]

40-40 would be great.

 

[Doctyl]

Not really.

There's going to be 10-15 players that hit it this year.

Panarin had 71 even-strength pts in 69 games in 2019

What? Draisaitl is 4th for 5v5 points and he’s only pacing for 59

Edit: okay the numbers I was citing was 5v5. ES points are much higher

 

[bhamill]

What? Draisaitl is 4th for 5v5 points and he’s only pacing for 59

Edit: okay the numbers I was citing was 5v5. ES points are much higher

Drai has 96 points right now. 36 on the power play. He has already REACHED 59 ES points then, since one point was shorthanded. Hahaha.

Edit: Okay. I didn't notice your edit!
Edit 2: Looks like I was off as well he has 97 points...

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Btw the more I watch him, the more I see huberdeau

He plays an extremely similar game to Huberdeau, probably the main difference being Lafreniere is a bit more physical. I see some Landeskog to his game as well.

It's kind of funny that Huberdeau was brought up as a comparable when he was a prospect and he took a couple years to get up to speed in the NHL and didn't really break out until he was 24-25. Lafreniere is ahead of where Huberdeau was at this point in his career, Huberdeau spent his D+1 season in juniors and also half of his D+2 season in juniors because of the 2012-13 lockout.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

The play towards the end of the third where he took the puck from behind his net and skated it up ice, getting separation from two defenders gives me hope. He's close.

 

[duhmetreE]

The play towards the end of the third where he took the puck from behind his net and skated it up ice, getting separation from two defenders gives me hope. He's close.

The one where he had literally zero puck support and eventually said 'fek it, I'll do it myself' ?

 

[Crease]

Laf has looked really good lately. Good on the right with Kreider and Zibanejad. Good on the left with Chytil and Goodrow. Just a different player than last season and even earlier this season. Sometimes I wish we see more sizzle and flash, but maybe that’s not his game. And style doesn’t matter if he’s putting up points.

 

[SergeConstantin74]

 

[Unpredictable1]

Laf has looked really good lately. Good on the right with Kreider and Zibanejad. Good on the left with Chytil and Goodrow. Just a different player than last season and even earlier this season. Sometimes I wish we see more sizzle and flash, but maybe that’s not his game. And style doesn’t matter if he’s putting up points.

Totally agree.

I will say this - I like him better with Chytil and Goodrow instead of Kreider/Zibanejad this last go-round because it seems Laf is driving the play a bit more and really feeding off of and trying to match Chytil's speed and be ready on the rush.

While he played well with Kreids and Zib, I liked him even more once he was put back with Chytil here recently. Just need some more PP time to help really break out that swagger.

It's right there...we can see it...

 

[The New Russian Five]

I feel like that one shift he had in the second was kind of an epiphany moment. It wasn’t a “Laf had a great shift there” moment, it was a “Laf completely took over the ice and looked like a man against boys” moment.

What I noticed he did was he was slowing the play down when he crossed over the blue line. He was trying to pick corners, but I’ll take that any day over his games earlier this year where he would go weeks without taking a shot.

I wish there was a recording of that shift. Probably one of the best I have seen from him.

 

[mas0764]

So now that we are feeling better about Lafreniere, the question is, what is Kakko gonna turn into?

 

[Doctyl]

So now that we are feeling better about Lafreniere, the question is, what is Kakko gonna turn into?

Kakko's underlying numbers were beastly before his diabetes caused his hand to fall off

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I just learned a new word.

 

[2014nyr]

Totally agree.

I will say this - I like him better with Chytil and Goodrow instead of Kreider/Zibanejad this last go-round because it seems Laf is driving the play a bit more and really feeding off of and trying to match Chytil's speed and be ready on the rush.

While he played well with Kreids and Zib, I liked him even more once he was put back with Chytil here recently. Just need some more PP time to help really break out that swagger.

It's right there...we can see it...

spot on. ive always said this when the was panic that we were ruining him playing him on a 3rd line. its always been this way to this point - the only difference is his growth and now chytil's improvement on that 3fd line. when hes played on the top line hes always been trying to play his part as opposed to driving any play. hes just gotten so much better and then gained confidence to where this last stint on the top line he was contributing to play and making some whereas last year if he got the puck he wanted to move it immediately. early this year was better but still a passenger. and like last year when he moved down the lineup he became the guy and we saw the puck on his stick a lot more and his confidence grew - and when he jumped back up he was much more involved than the time before. and this time dropping down he has chytil having made real strides so the line is capable of so much more and controls the puck far more. theres nothing wrong with him playing 3rd line - i am curious what happens when kakko comes back. id like to see those 3 get a chance or possibly drop vatrano down or if kakko just slides into hunts spot. maybe goodrow stays there to provide stability defensively defensively which is fine. but id love to get a look at adding vats shot and speed as a secondary complement to benefit from lafs vision or kakko whos a beast on the puck and thinks the game well - higher octane sounds more fun - to at least look at.

separately was interesting laf stepped in on that faceoff before chytils gooal in det and not the veteran whos played a lot of center in goodrow. looking to the future i think laf could potentially excel as a c

 

[ArPanet]

 

[IDvsEGO]

spot on. ive always said this when the was panic that we were ruining him playing him on a 3rd line. its always been this way to this point - the only difference is his growth and now chytil's improvement on that 3fd line. when hes played on the top line hes always been trying to play his part as opposed to driving any play. hes just gotten so much better and then gained confidence to where this last stint on the top line he was contributing to play and making some whereas last year if he got the puck he wanted to move it immediately. early this year was better but still a passenger. and like last year when he moved down the lineup he became the guy and we saw the puck on his stick a lot more and his confidence grew - and when he jumped back up he was much more involved than the time before. and this time dropping down he has chytil having made real strides so the line is capable of so much more and controls the puck far more. theres nothing wrong with him playing 3rd line - i am curious what happens when kakko comes back. id like to see those 3 get a chance or possibly drop vatrano down or if kakko just slides into hunts spot. maybe goodrow stays there to provide stability defensively defensively which is fine. but id love to get a look at adding vats shot and speed as a secondary complement to benefit from lafs vision or kakko whos a beast on the puck and thinks the game well - higher octane sounds more fun - to at least look at.

separately was interesting laf stepped in on that faceoff before chytils gooal in det and not the veteran whos played a lot of center in goodrow. looking to the future i think laf could potentially excel as a c

Laf has taken faceoffs fairly regularly, that has nothing to do with him playing center. Kreider has one of the highest faceoff win percentages on our team.
Playing center is about defensive positioning.

 

[Unpredictable1]

spot on. ive always said this when the was panic that we were ruining him playing him on a 3rd line. its always been this way to this point - the only difference is his growth and now chytil's improvement on that 3fd line. when hes played on the top line hes always been trying to play his part as opposed to driving any play. hes just gotten so much better and then gained confidence to where this last stint on the top line he was contributing to play and making some whereas last year if he got the puck he wanted to move it immediately. early this year was better but still a passenger. and like last year when he moved down the lineup he became the guy and we saw the puck on his stick a lot more and his confidence grew - and when he jumped back up he was much more involved than the time before. and this time dropping down he has chytil having made real strides so the line is capable of so much more and controls the puck far more. theres nothing wrong with him playing 3rd line - i am curious what happens when kakko comes back. id like to see those 3 get a chance or possibly drop vatrano down or if kakko just slides into hunts spot. maybe goodrow stays there to provide stability defensively defensively which is fine. but id love to get a look at adding vats shot and speed as a secondary complement to benefit from lafs vision or kakko whos a beast on the puck and thinks the game well - higher octane sounds more fun - to at least look at.

separately was interesting laf stepped in on that faceoff before chytils gooal in det and not the veteran whos played a lot of center in goodrow. looking to the future i think laf could potentially excel as a c

If Laf and Chytil continue to show that they're really building on some momentum together - I would 100% put Kakko with them.

Everyone can fight me (lol jus j/k )

Cheers

 

[IDvsEGO]

If Laf and Chytil continue to show that they're really building on some momentum together - I would 100% put Kakko with them.

Everyone can fight me (lol jus j/k )

Cheers

If the rumor that we just signed travigno is true, then id move kk to the second put travigno with laf and chytil.

 

[SA16]

If the rumor that we just signed travigno is true, then id move kk to the second put travigno with laf and chytil.

This sounds remarkably similar to everyone who thinks Kravstov should come over and be in the top six.

 

[IDvsEGO]

This sounds remarkably similar to everyone who thinks Kravstov should come over and be in the top six.

and yet travigno is older, more professional experience, and likely not signing this contract unless he's getting a quick nhl start.

 

[SA16]

and yet travigno is older, more professional experience, and likely not signing this contract unless he's getting a quick nhl start.

I think it is far more likely he plays 0 NHL games this year than he gets a single full game in the top six.

 

[IDvsEGO]

I think it is far more likely he plays 0 NHL games this year than he gets a single full game in the top six.

I think 3rd line is more likely than with panarin but yes.

 

[duhmetreE]

and yet travigno is older, more professional experience, and likely not signing this contract unless he's getting a quick nhl start.

There's very little chance he plays here right off the bat.... Unless his mother and Gallant's wife go shopping together.

I know what you meant but he's just now turning professional. We have way too many forwards to begin with. Gallant will not sit his boys for an unseasoned new kid on the block