Player Discussion Alexis Lafrenière

[Cusedog]

Too many games playing just like a JAG.

 

[noncents]

I know the teams been winning, and he has 5 in his last 5 (8 in his last 10), but i still see this season as a significant disappointment. 49 point pace down from 57 last year with more PP1 time, resulting in a demotion.

It's not even the points. Big salary players need to contribute in any of a number of important ways.

- Dynamism, the ability to make a play leading to a scoring opportunity, the ability to beat a man 1-on-1, is most important for a forward who makes big money. To me, clutch is a part of this.

- Play driving, analytical effectiveness on ice. Does the player generally matriculate the puck towards goal scoring areas thru takeaways, breakouts, puck carrying/zone entries, possession, passing?

- Character/Grit: a straw that stirs the drink. I lump physicality into this. We know this when we see it. how does the player respond when the going gets tough?

- Defensive prowess. Prevention of high danger chances against.

- Special teams acumen. PP/PK, 3v3 OT or 4v4.



Ideally a 7mm+ winger contributes to some degree across all these facets. How many of these does Laf really bring? Id say 1ish - he drives play and flashes dynamism.

He's awful defensively and seemingly awful on the PP.

What's really disappointing to me is how much he fades into the background. I thought he was a high character player, a leader with in your face elements, physical or aggressive tendencies. but when this team was flailing, sinking completely, he was just as invisible and miserable as the rest of them. Even after the team turned it around, he was deathly quiet.


There's a conversation to be had (again) about development - how we got here with Laf, why he is or isn't what he is and isn't.

I'm more concerned at this point with establishing a range of expectations for Laf as a player across these criteria. Commonly held wisdom says that he is what he is at this point.. can he become more physical or more of a leader? Can he develop as a PP asset or on defense? Is he just a 50-60 point winger we are overpaying for the next 7 years?

 

[UnSandvich]

I know the teams been winning, and he has 5 in his last 5 (8 in his last 10), but i still see this season as a significant disappointment. 49 point pace down from 57 last year with more PP1 time, resulting in a demotion.

It's not even the points. Big salary players need to contribute in any of a number of important ways.

- Dynamism, the ability to make a play leading to a scoring opportunity, the ability to beat a man 1-on-1, is most important for a forward who makes big money. To me, clutch is a part of this.

- Play driving, analytical effectiveness on ice. Does the player generally matriculate the puck towards goal scoring areas thru takeaways, breakouts, puck carrying/zone entries, possession, passing?

- Character/Grit: a straw that stirs the drink. I lump physicality into this. We know this when we see it. how does the player respond when the going gets tough?

- Defensive prowess. Prevention of high danger chances against.

- Special teams acumen. PP/PK, 3v3 OT or 4v4.



Ideally a 7mm+ winger contributes to some degree across all these facets. How many of these does Laf really bring? Id say 1ish - he drives play and flashes dynamism.

He's awful defensively and seemingly awful on the PP.

What's really disappointing to me is how much he fades into the background. I thought he was a high character player, a leader with in your face elements, physical or aggressive tendencies. but when this team was flailing, sinking completely, he was just as invisible and miserable as the rest of them. Even after the team turned it around, he was deathly quiet.


There's a conversation to be had (again) about development - how we got here with Laf, why he is or isn't what he is and isn't.

I'm more concerned at this point with establishing a range of expectations for Laf as a player across these criteria. Commonly held wisdom says that he is what he is at this point.. can he become more physical or more of a leader? Can he develop as a PP asset or on defense? Is he just a 50-60 point winger we are overpaying for the next 7 years?

He's 4th on the team in points. 2nd in Points at even strength & 5v5. And that's despite having just 5 points from 11/25-1/4 in 19 games. He's fine.

 

[noncents]

He's 4th on the team in points. 2nd in Points at even strength & 5v5. And that's despite having just 5 points from 11/25-1/4 in 19 games. He's fine.

this says less about him and more about the team.

i reiterate: what is the expectation for the player over the lifetime of this new contract?

 

[DanielBrassard]

this says less about him and more about the team.

i reiterate: what is the expectation for the player over the lifetime of this new contract?

I think the expectation should be what he is now. The dynamic winger who makes players around him better ceiling we all thought he might have seems like it’s not going to come to fruition. He looks like a good complimentary winger at this point.

 

[UnSandvich]

this says less about him and more about the team.

i reiterate: what is the expectation for the player over the lifetime of this new contract?

Good Top 6 wing who drives offense at 5v5. One who has shown he can be dynamic in the playoffs, and who appears to still have room to grow.

 

[noncents]

Good Top 6 wing who drives offense at 5v5. One who has shown he can be dynamic in the playoffs, and who appears to still have room to grow.

what do you think he averages in pts/60 over his healthy years?

 

[ReddestRum]

Good Top 6 wing who drives offense at 5v5. One who has shown he can be dynamic in the playoffs, and who appears to still have room to grow.

Usually teams build around their 1OAs, but that's not really the case with Laf. Consequently, I don't think he drives the play much. Lately he's been in the right spots to receive passes and put in rebounds, but his playmaking is inconsistent. I'm sure it's hard to be a playmaker when you've got Panarin taking that role on his line, but Laf defers more than he drives scoring chances. He's also inconsistent in putting points on the board and his defense has regressed horribly. Def still has room to grow, especially since this team has been in the dumps for awhile, so everyone's production has dropped.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

I know the teams been winning, and he has 5 in his last 5 (8 in his last 10), but i still see this season as a significant disappointment. 49 point pace down from 57 last year with more PP1 time, resulting in a demotion.

It's not even the points. Big salary players need to contribute in any of a number of important ways.

- Dynamism, the ability to make a play leading to a scoring opportunity, the ability to beat a man 1-on-1, is most important for a forward who makes big money. To me, clutch is a part of this.

- Play driving, analytical effectiveness on ice. Does the player generally matriculate the puck towards goal scoring areas thru takeaways, breakouts, puck carrying/zone entries, possession, passing?

- Character/Grit: a straw that stirs the drink. I lump physicality into this. We know this when we see it. how does the player respond when the going gets tough?

- Defensive prowess. Prevention of high danger chances against.

- Special teams acumen. PP/PK, 3v3 OT or 4v4.



Ideally a 7mm+ winger contributes to some degree across all these facets. How many of these does Laf really bring? Id say 1ish - he drives play and flashes dynamism.

He's awful defensively and seemingly awful on the PP.

What's really disappointing to me is how much he fades into the background. I thought he was a high character player, a leader with in your face elements, physical or aggressive tendencies. but when this team was flailing, sinking completely, he was just as invisible and miserable as the rest of them. Even after the team turned it around, he was deathly quiet.


There's a conversation to be had (again) about development - how we got here with Laf, why he is or isn't what he is and isn't.

I'm more concerned at this point with establishing a range of expectations for Laf as a player across these criteria. Commonly held wisdom says that he is what he is at this point.. can he become more physical or more of a leader? Can he develop as a PP asset or on defense? Is he just a 50-60 point winger we are overpaying for the next 7 years?

In the Rangers? He’s a 60 point winger at best. If we trade him? PPG + elite winger

 

[mas0764]

We will trade him for a third pair defenseman and he’ll go on to be a 100 point LW.

 

[Row I Goon]

Laf still the man.

 

[Cusedog]

LAF is the ultimate tease. 20% of the time you see flashes of what could be. The other 80% is his verybest Jimmy Vesey impersonation.

 

[mike14]

LAF is the ultimate tease. 20% of the time you see flashes of what could be. The other 80% is his verybest Jimmy Vesey impersonation.

Agreed. You want to be seeing one 'moment' per shift (probably not quite possible but at least a few per period) and you are usually lucky to get one per game.
His pass on the Tro goal was sublime, but he was almost unsighted outside of that except for his patented 'miss the net by 5 feet' shot.
Useful player, but still not showing enough signs of being a 'game breaking' player