He’s 18 years old, he’s a late birthday.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.
He had another year of 104 points in 56 games before his draft. Tavares is #2 but problem with him is that his 2nd, 3rd and 4th seasons became less and less impressive. When a player is 16-18 you obviously want to see progression rather than them getting stagnant, let along declining. Laf on the other hand has obviously improved each year.Did HF just forget, or are they intentionally ignoring the fact that Tavares was a center, granted exceptional status, and put up these numbers pre draft?
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In what world is Laf even remotely close?
He had another year of 104 points in 56 games before his draft. Tavares is #2 but problem with him is that his 2nd, 3rd and 4th seasons became less and less impressive. When a player is 16-18 you obviously want to see progression rather than them getting stagnant, let along declining. Laf on the other hand has obviously improved each year.
I also remember people were questioning his skating at draft time. I think he had hype that was Crosby/McDavid level when he put up 72 goals as a 16 year old, but it fell pretty far from there, even if he was still insanely hyped. It didn't help that Hedman was heralded as the best D-man since Pronger. Hedman over Tavares became a legit argument for some.
Lafreniere's IQ is incredible though, it's his best attribute as well. The winger thing does matter though.Okay, but Tavares has borderline generational IQ, which allowed him to post those numbers. Lafreniere doesn't have one such attribute. Doesn't play center. Doesn't have the numbers or accolades Tavares does. Yet he's almost unanimously ranked higher than JT. It's embarrassing.
Lafreniere's IQ is incredible though, it's his best attribute as well. The winger thing does matter though.
People tend to forget that player development wasn’t the same when Crosby played in the Q, he was so clearly ahead of his peers then cause the average junior player wasn’t as good as they currently are and when McDavid played, McDavid imo was considered the better prospect of the two.
Still not close to Tavares. Tavares put up historic numbers in spite of his skating because of his IQ.
Did HF just forget, or are they intentionally ignoring the fact that Tavares was a center, granted exceptional status, and put up these numbers pre draft?
View attachment 306263
In what world is Laf even remotely close?
We know that Tavares did not come close to a level in the NHL that would match the dominance he showed in the O unlike Crosby, McDavid or Kane who have totally have done that.
His numbers need to be taken a with a big grain of salt thus opening the door to someone like Laf being regarded higher.
His draft season is tracking to be better than Tavares'.
A lot of the Tavares hype died down in his draft season after he failed to really improve on his sensational D-1 season.
Still, I do agree that I don't see why Laf should be considered on a different level than Tavares. I'd add the names of Matthews, Eichel and Dahlin to that.
This is essentially Laf's draft+1 considering his birthday. His numbers are absolutely not even remotely close to Tavares.
This entire thread is just reeking of recency bias. Lafreniere is like a Taylor Hall type #1. Excellent player, but again, not on the Stamkos/Tavares/Matthews/MacKinnon level.
Compare it to Tavares D season where he had 104 points in 56 games then. Still below Laf's current pace.
There's also some irony when you start bringing up Hall as a comparable when Laf is clearly superior statistically. Same goes for Mackinnon and even Stamkos. It's especially odd considering I'm thinking Laf is nigh unanimously regarded as the best prospect to come out of the Q since Crosby, and that includes Mackinnon.
Laf is definitely on the level of Tavares/Matthews as a prospect. The question is whether he's a better prospect or not.
Laf wasn't/isn't even a lock to be #1 in his own draft yet.
Tavares just had a 47 goal season where he had elite defense at center. That's arguably better than any season Kane had. I don't see Lafreniere being anywhere near that ever in the NHL. He just doesn't have that talent.
Neither was Tavares by the time the 09 draft came around.
Neither was Matthews with how much traction Laine had been getting leading up to the draft.
What's your point? Your arguments are incoherent and lead to nowhere. It's almost as if you had a horse (or two) in this race.
I just don't see a single reason why he should even be mentioned in the same breath as the elite #1s and quite honestly, he's closer to Jack Hughes than he is Matthews/Tavares/Dahlin/Eichel.
This is essentially Laf's draft+1 considering his birthday. His numbers are absolutely not even remotely close to Tavares.
He is having a better draft year than Tavares did.