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Alexis Lafreniere - is he the 2nd best prospect since Crosby?

Is Alex Lafreniere the second best prospect since Crosby in 2005? (read question in OP)

  • Total voters
    370
Balthazar said:
No he doesn't. Anyone who follows the Q knows that Laf has much bigger hype. It's easy to compare the two since they come out of the same league.
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Only because Laf is consensus no.1 whereas around this time in 2013 there was the Big 4, including Drouin in the same league with his monster production. But Mackinnon at draft time had similar hype to Laf now. Basically one level below McDavid for both, similar to Dahlin or Tavares.
 
Avsboy said:
Only because Laf is consensus no.1 whereas around this time in 2013 there was the Big 4, including Drouin in the same league with his monster production. But Mackinnon at draft time had similar hype to Laf now. Basically one level below McDavid for both, similar to Dahlin or Tavares.
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It's pretty much a consensus that Lafreniere is the best prospect coming out of the Q since Crosby. He's probably #4 or #5 after Lemieux, Daigle, Crosby and on par with Lecavalier. That doesn't mean that he'll be better than Mack in the NHL, but if they were in the same draft class Laf would go first.
 
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Balthazar said:
No he doesn't. Anyone who follows the Q knows that Laf has much bigger hype. It's easy to compare the two since they come out of the same league.
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Yep. Laf is considered the best player in the Q since Crosby and gets hyped accordingly.
 
I don’t follow prospects too closely but I haven’t been that impressed by an undrafted player in the World Juniors in a long time.
 
In all serious though, if I think about the #1 picks since Crosby here is how I would have it:

Definitely more hyped than Lafreniere:

McDavid
Tavares

Definitely less hyped than Lafreniere:

Kane
Nugent-Hopkins
Yakupov
Ekblad
Hischier
Hughes

Which leaves a group of prospects that I feel were somewhat comparable to Lafreniere:

Stamkos
Hall
MacKinnon
Matthews
Dahlin

I think he fits in just fine with this group of players. There are some other players who weren’t picked 1st overall that I would stick into this group as well (Eichel and Jones). Hall seems like a good comparable for hype in my opinion.

At best I think you could argue he was #3 since Crosby (though I wouldn’t make that argument) and at worst I would say #10, but I’m not entirely sure where I would fit him in there right now.
 
ESH said:
“I’m basing my whole view of some anonymous stranger on one post made by them on the internet”
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There's no interpretation of your comment that has you appearing as anything other than an ignorant contrarian on the subject of Lafreniere's draft trajectory/timing. I'm sure you're a fine individual outside of that one thing you said though.
 
I think Laf impressed a lot of people coming back from that injury and playing so well as a 17 year old. If he finishes the season with a bang, the hype meter is going to skyrocket.
 
Ryan Michaels said:
This is an absolutely wild interpretation of the thread.
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I mean Sid was hyped much more then Mcdavid. I remember hearing about Sid since he was a little boy. As for Lafreniere, he’s been hyped up for at least the last 3 years or so so so I guess in the Eichel/Matthews/Dahlin/Kane level but definately a level below Mcdavid and Sid
 
OilCanada92 said:
The hype machine was in full force for MacKinnon. Of the players you listed, Tavares is the only guy who beats him in that regard.
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I don't know about that one. I definitely remember the expectation being that Colorado would take Jones first. There was also talk about the top 5 of that draft being "good, not great". If anything, I was a little underwhelmed by MacKinnon in his draft year.
 
I think when you talk about going all the way back to Crosby, there's no way he's in the top five. There was a discussion in the prospect section about where he ranks since McDavid. I thought he's probably right on the edge of top 5 there. I'd have Eichel, Matthews, Laine, Dahlin all ahead of him, and then there are probably 4-5 players in that next tier that I think you could argue for that last spot.

If we are including players such as Tavares, Stamkos, Doughty, MacKinnon, Jones, Barkov, Hedman to the mix, he's not going to be top five.

It should also be said that Lafreniere is getting a lot of the post-WJC hype that eventually quiets down. Lafreniere vs. Hughes was considered near 50/50 for most of the last few years. During the WJC, there was a poll where Lafreniere had 95+% of the vote, which is ridiculous. People overreact at this time of the year. December/January is not the time to make these assessments.
 
Outside the top 5.

No chance he goes ahead of McDavid. Like, it isn't even a discussion. Matthews, Eichel, Dahlin, Stamkos, JT, and MacKinnon most likely go ahead (although, a rare team or two. might have Laf second, but unlikely). Those guys were ridiculously elite prospects, who unlike Laf, played a premium position. Then there are a bunch of guys where it might be a coin-flip (Hall, Seguin, and Hedman). He probably goes ahead of Hughes, Kakko, and Laine, but those guys would have their supporters where it wouldn't be 10-0 of Bob's polled scouts. Although, keep in mind, Bob McKenzie said the belief was that Hughes would go ahead of Laf if they were both in the 2019 draft, but Laf has improved his stock since then. I'd also add if Laf was in the 2007 draft, he likely goes ahead of Kane, but if players were evaluated the way they are now, P. Kane probably goes ahead (and P. Kane is a major reason people's perception about size has changed, combined with a bigger emphasis on speed and skill now).
 
tony d said:
He's good but I put him behind Mackinnon and Tavares as prospects so 4th best prospect.
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Lol ya because you seen them in the NHL his numbers in the Q right now are crazy, he is crushing what Mac did. It would be a tough call with him and JT
 
Based on draft hype and projections he is number 4 for me. Eichel, Mcdavid and Matthews are ahead. In hind sight Mackinnon and maybe Barkov should have been as well.
 
It's always hard to look back and be objective. Hype probably varies a bit depending on geography. As an example Buffalo fans were claiming much loftier status for Dahlin than I was hearing/seeing in Ontario. Hype is also irrational , Eichel garnered more hype than Matthews despite Matthews having better career numbers and being more NHL ready after a pro year in Europe.

To me the minute you are talking about a winger you are already behind the 8 ball. I'm sure he's going to be good but it's hard to get excited about a winger as top pick.
 
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