Alexis Lafreniere disappointing season start? PART 2

[GetFocht]

NYR have had terrible luck and shows you a rebuild is much harder than just tanking and drafting players with high picks.

Kappo, Lafreniere should have been two picks that would have accelerated this process.

 

[Blackjack]

NYR have had terrible luck

wat

 

[TheGreatOne11]

Laf is going to be fine.

Not every 1st round pick is Crosby and just busts into the league with 100 points. He has the tool box to be a ppg player in this league and I believe that is what he is going to become.

Some take longer than others to adjust, plus that rangers team is trash.

 

[Roasted Nuts]

wat

Yeah, that was my first thought too. The NYR are one of the most desired locations for players, having attracted top players in Panarin, Trouba, and Fox. That alone would be a major advantage for a NHL team. But when you add in their lottery wins over the last 2 years in Kaako and Lafreniere, the NYR have had a huge advantage as a team. They should be at least be on the level of the Maple Leafs who are similar in getting lottery picks (#1 Matthews, 5 Marner, 7 Nylander) and free agents (Tavs).

 

[Blackjack]

Yeah, that was my first thought too. The NYR are one of the most desired locations for players, having attracted top players in Panarin, Trouba, and Fox. That alone would be a major advantage for a NHL team. But when you add in their lottery wins over the last 2 years in Kaako and Lafreniere, the NYR have had a huge advantage as a team. They should be at least be on the level of the Maple Leafs who are similar in getting lottery picks (#1 Matthews, 5 Marner, 7 Nylander) and free agents (Tavs).

They got a 1st round pick for Brady Skjei!

 

[GetFocht]

wat

Lafreniere has been underperforming significantly for a first overall, right now looks like an elite third line player which not what you want to draft as a first overall. Kappo had expectations to be a first line winger, on pace for another ~20 point season. Trouba has regressed significantly in terms of offence production. A first overall and second overall pick should at least elevate the entire team but right now looks like NYR have a long road ahead of them while Panarin will be heading into this 30s.

 

[abo9]

Lafreniere has been underperforming significantly for a first overall, right now looks like an elite third line player which not what you want to draft as a first overall. Kappo had expectations to be a first line winger, on pace for another ~20 point season. Trouba has regressed significantly in terms of offence production. A first overall and second overall pick should at least elevate the entire team but right now looks like NYR have a long road ahead of them while Panarin will be heading into this 30s.

They were 16th in the league before the season stopped, in the middle of the playoff race. They got very lucky with that 1st OA draw.

But I agree they were unlucky that both picks were not immediate studs I guess. If both of them fail though would that be enough to say it's on them and not the kids?

 

[Blackjack]

Lafreniere has been underperforming significantly for a first overall, right now looks like an elite third line player which not what you want to draft as a first overall. Kappo had expectations to be a first line winger, on pace for another ~20 point season. Trouba has regressed significantly in terms of offence production. A first overall and second overall pick should at least elevate the entire team but right now looks like NYR have a long road ahead of them while Panarin will be heading into this 30s.

Laf and Kakko are 19 and 20 my dude.

 

[AlphaBravo]

Laf is going to be fine.

Not every 1st round pick is Crosby and just busts into the league with 100 points. He has the tool box to be a ppg player in this league and I believe that is what he is going to become.

Some take longer than others to adjust, plus that rangers team is trash.

This is spot on. I think people forget that not every high draft pick is going to turn out like generational talents like Crosby, McDavid, Matthews etc. Young prospects need a few years of development. Give him a few years, and then assess whether he is a bust or not. It might have done him good to play in the AHL, since that opportunity existed during these COVID times.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

More in the Ryan Nugent-Hopkins category than Auston Matthews?

Yeah I think something closer to RNH, who is a really good player IMO.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Just pondering (seriously); are the Rangers gonna send him back to the Q? (soon) His ice time has plummeted.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

I know that people get "mad" every time i mention DeBrincat, no matter where or any given situation,
even thou i haven't mentioned him in a long time and i never go full fan boy for him,
when ever he is struggling, i do bring it up and want him to do helluva better.

Anywhoooo....... to have some perspective on Alexis's 19 year old rookie season.

Alex DeBrincat, (2016 39th overall pick), before turning 20 in his rookie season, Alex played 33 games, scored 23 points
with limited pp time and less avg ice time what Lafreniere has been given, sure there were a short
span (8 games) in which DeBrincat got 15-17,5 minutes per game, with pp minutes, but more he had games
where he played 11-13 minutes and 14 minutes a game, in the 3rd and 4th line, with limited pp time.
- DeBrincat finished his rookie season with team leading 28 goals and came 2nd in points, with 52.

Alexis, 1st overall pick, not 18 but 19, the full package, has size, with pro physique (6 foot 1-6 foot 2 / 195 lbs)
4 goals, 4 assists in 30 points so far, in my opinion; Rangers really should think
the possibility that he isn't ready to play NHL/pro hockey yet and should be sent back to juniors.
- remember what happened to Draisaitl?, Oilers almost screwed him up as well, like all not McDavid top prospects before
he was given the chance to mature, to work on his game, he was sent back to juniors and the rest....

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Just pondering (seriously); are the Rangers gonna send him back to the Q? (soon) His ice time has plummeted.

No, they aren’t.

 

[tomobson]

Just pondering (seriously); are the Rangers gonna send him back to the Q? (soon) His ice time has plummeted.

I don't think the coach/management will allow him to return to the Q. The ranger's management thought he was some kind of development guro and sending him back to the Q means they made a really bad coaching decision.

This first half of the season has been quite the disaster for the rangers. When Laf got minutes with the veterans early in the season the veterans were just non-existent. Zibanajad was a covid zombie, kreider was invisible, and strome had a few points mostly because panarin bounced the puck off his stick to score a few times. Hopefully they realize giving a 19yr old rookie 7 minutes a night is not the way to develop a player and figure something out. Roster choices will have to be made soon by their GM so maybe this will open some room for Laf to get more playing time.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Laf is going to be fine.

Not every 1st round pick is Crosby and just busts into the league with 100 points. He has the tool box to be a ppg player in this league and I believe that is what he is going to become.

Some take longer than others to adjust, plus that rangers team is trash.

That's a bad argument. Nobody is expecting him to produce like Crosby and McDavid.
He isn't producing at even the level of lesser 1st overall picks like Hischier, Hughes, Yakupov, etc. Or even 3rd overall picks like Kotkaniemi and Dach.

 

[HF007]

I knew NY would be terrible for him, NYR are awful at developing forwards

 

[Frolov 6'3]

I feel somewhat bad for Rangers fans who need to endure these topics.


Somewhat due to the fact there were a few constantly popping up when people dare to mention better options than Laffy before the draft.

 

[Ned Bouhalassa]

Guy Lafleur had a couple of ‘meh’ seasons at first, Brad Marchand, and others too.

 

[2ndGenIslander]

I knew NY would be terrible for him, NYR are awful at developing forwards

They refuse to let these 19-20 year old kids develop in the AHL and refine their game, instead keep them up with reduced minutes in the NHL

 

[nbwingsfan]

I know that people get "mad" every time i mention DeBrincat, no matter where or any given situation,
even thou i haven't mentioned him in a long time and i never go full fan boy for him,
when ever he is struggling, i do bring it up and want him to do helluva better.

Anywhoooo....... to have some perspective on Alexis's 19 year old rookie season.

Alex DeBrincat, (2016 39th overall pick), before turning 20 in his rookie season, Alex played 33 games, scored 23 points
with limited pp time and less avg ice time what Lafreniere has been given, sure there were a short
span (8 games) in which DeBrincat got 15-17,5 minutes per game, with pp minutes, but more he had games
where he played 11-13 minutes and 14 minutes a game, in the 3rd and 4th line, with limited pp time.
- DeBrincat finished his rookie season with team leading 28 goals and came 2nd in points, with 52.

Alexis, 1st overall pick, not 18 but 19, the full package, has size, with pro physique (6 foot 1-6 foot 2 / 195 lbs)
4 goals, 4 assists in 30 points so far, in my opinion; Rangers really should think
the possibility that he isn't ready to play NHL/pro hockey yet and should be sent back to juniors.
- remember what happened to Draisaitl?, Oilers almost screwed him up as well, like all not McDavid top prospects before
he was given the chance to mature, to work on his game, he was sent back to juniors and the rest....

Yes great idea. Send him back to Canada where he will have to quarantine for two weeks, and then get to play ~7-8 games, put up 20pts on one of the worst teams in the Q in a league he's already proven to be way, wayyyy too good for.

I do wonder if you ever take 3 seconds to think before you post?

 

[Tripod]

In the end, I think he will be fine.

I do think they should have allowed him to play at the WJC to get in competitive games earlier and go into the season with confidence....as I am sure he would have done well.

 

[BrockLobster]

NYR have had terrible luck and shows you a rebuild is much harder than just tanking and drafting players with high picks.

Kappo, Lafreniere should have been two picks that would have accelerated this process.

Yea damn their luck. Winning back to back lotteries and having players fall in their laps. Boo hoo

 

[canuck2010]

The NHL is by far the best hockey league in the world. Expecting every kid to waltz in a play like like he played in the NCAA, the K or Canadian junior with the same results is just plain crazy.

God bless Smooth Rock Falls, Golden, Tobermory and Brigus Junction but they are a world away from the bright lights.

 

[MatthewBarnabysTears]

The NHL is by far the best hockey league in the world. Expecting every kid to waltz in a play like like he played in the NCAA, the K or Canadian junior with the same results is just plain crazy.

God bless Smooth Rock Falls, Golden, Tobermory and Brigus Junction but they are a world away from the bright lights.

Did people expect that of “every kid” or just of a couple prospects universally predicted to be NHL ready, elite talents?

There never won’t be an example of someone who took a while to develop, or figured it out after some adversity. But Kakko and Lafreniere are clearly disappointments *so far* judged against other top picks and universal expectations.

 

[canuck2010]

Did people expect that of “every kid” or just of a couple prospects universally predicted to be NHL ready, elite talents?

There never won’t be an example of someone who took a while to develop, or figured it out after some adversity. But Kakko and Lafreniere are clearly disappointments *so far* judged against other top picks and universal expectations.

Rangers aren't going anywhere anyway and I can't comment on Kakko but we don't really know what expectations they had or have for Lafreniere. He has been good enough more or less to get ice time in lieu of someone else. They continue to play him.

Expectations from fans and the media are always bullshit anyway. They have no idea true idea of what is or isn't going on in the dressing room. Other top picks are simply that "other top picks"

I do respect your opinion and I fully understand what you are saying. I think we all wish that he was scoring a bunch of goals.