Confirmed with Link: Alexis Lafreniere Signs Extension [7Y/7.45M AAV]

[NickyFotiu]

Laf looks different than previous years and the awful preseason. He has an extra step than I’ve seen before allowing him to be more than a passenger on the line. He doesn’t need to be a game breaker because Panarin has that covered. With that said he’s looking above average at a minimum.

That is good to hear. My hope is both Chytil and Laf see how Bread is playing and learn what it takes to produce at his level.

 

[E-Train]

That is good to hear. My hope is both Chytil and Laf see how Bread is playing and learn what it takes to produce at his level.

Looking good so far. I’ve liked the line since opening night

 

[will1066]

La-Nightmiere just showed up at my door for tricks or treats. I said because he missed on the breakaway I got him:

Vanilla because he is.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Looking good so far. I’ve liked the line since opening night

If Bread keeps up this play and Laf/Chytil can raise their games a bit we might start calling that our first line.

 

[Greg02]

La-Nightmiere just showed up at my door for tricks or treats. I said because he missed on the breakaway I got him:

Vanilla because he is.

OK but this is actually really good yoghurt, it has the little flakes of vanilla bean in it, and they're not cheap. It would actually be very high quality to give out to a trick or treater.

 

[will1066]

OK but this is actually really good yoghurt, it has the little flakes of vanilla bean in it, and they're not cheap. It would actually be very high quality to give out to a trick or treater.

I'll have to try it

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

Well that will be easy because my point was about their usage helping their development. And like it or not, Hughes had a worse D+1 than Lafreniere while getting 50% more ATOI and loads of PP1 time (and 5 more games played, I think). Which benefitted Hughes‘ learning curve. In no way am I trying to say Laf would have had the same level of success as Hughes. Just that Laf would have been closer to reaching his OWN potential. He’d have more reps and most likely more confidence. I don’t think it’s a wild take, TBH. It’s pretty much just common sense. I only mention how bad Hughes was in his D+1 for the “Laf didn’t earn it” crowd, because the norm is a high pick goes to a bad team and they are GIVEN PP1 and lots of ice and responsibility without having earned it.

great post

 

[Vito Andolini]

Well that will be easy because my point was about their usage helping their development. And like it or not, Hughes had a worse D+1 than Lafreniere while getting 50% more ATOI and loads of PP1 time (and 5 more games played, I think). Which benefitted Hughes‘ learning curve. In no way am I trying to say Laf would have had the same level of success as Hughes. Just that Laf would have been closer to reaching his OWN potential. He’d have more reps and most likely more confidence. I don’t think it’s a wild take, TBH. It’s pretty much just common sense. I only mention how bad Hughes was in his D+1 for the “Laf didn’t earn it” crowd, because the norm is a high pick goes to a bad team and they are GIVEN PP1 and lots of ice and responsibility without having earned it.

We really don't know how much closer Laf would be to whatever his potential is going to be if he had more ice time. Our very own Kreider averaged 17 mins for several years and had been on the top pp line for many of those seasons, and it still took him til he was about 30 before he became the scorer of the past 2+ seasons.

Laf and Hughes really are not very comparable at all. Hughes has game breaking talent, and has since day 1. Laf is just nowhere near that talent level. In my opinion, Laf's development curve is going to be slow. I don't think he has a confidence problem.

 

[bhamill]

We really don't know how much closer Laf would be to whatever his potential is going to be if he had more ice time. Our very own Kreider averaged 17 mins for several years and had been on the top pp line for many of those seasons, and it still took him til he was about 30 before he became the scorer of the past 2+ seasons.

Laf and Hughes really are not very comparable at all. Hughes has game breaking talent, and has since day 1. Laf is just nowhere near that talent level. In my opinion, Laf's development curve is going to be slow. I don't think he has a confidence problem.

It’s common sense and logic. More investment in development is far more likely to result in development. If Kreider didn’t get the time he was getting maybe he would not have become the scorer he’s been the past 2+ years till later, if at all.

Laf and Jack are comparable in that they are both high picks. Both 1OA. But fine, if we want to stop comparing Laf to other 1OA, or top 5 picks, and just talk about what player he is and is becoming as a D+4 winger, I’m fine with it. Anytime I suggest that, though, I hear how the things can’t be separated and he’s a bust. As recently as pre season (and probably no farther in the future than a couple of more games off of the scoresheet.) AND this doesn’t change anything I said, neither earned the ATOI, PP1 time, trust and responsibility, but one got it anyway. And I’m of the opinion that, YES, it aided his developement at the NHL level as well as his confidence. There is NO substitute for game experience. If you can prove that false, go for it.

 

[Vito Andolini]

AND this doesn’t change anything I said, neither earned the ATOI, PP1 time, trust and responsibility, but one got it anyway. And I’m of the opinion that, YES, it aided his developement at the NHL level as well as his confidence. There is NO substitute for game experience. If you can prove that false, go for it.

Jack Hughes earned that time by virtue of his talent. He's not comparable to Laf. It's not even worth the time arguing this point.

And I agree game experience is important. And I'll already break my word and compare them....Jack Hughes was over a pt per game player by year 3. He played 61 and 56 games in years 1 and 2...averaging about 18 minutes a night. Thats's 2000 NHL minutes in his first 2 years. Laf has 3 years under his belt. He's played 56, 79, and 81 games...averaging about 14 minutes a night. That's 3000 NHL minutes in 3 years. So, Hughes needed 2000 minutes to become a star. Laf is on 3000+ and has 12 shots in 9 games so far this season...

 

[jerseyjinx94]

Jack Hughes earned that time by virtue of his talent. He's not comparable to Laf. It's not even worth the time arguing this point.

And I agree game experience is important. And I'll already break my word and compare them....Jack Hughes was over a pt per game player by year 3. He played 61 and 56 games in years 1 and 2...averaging about 18 minutes a night. Thats's 2000 NHL minutes in his first 2 years. Laf has 3 years under his belt. He's played 56, 79, and 81 games...averaging about 14 minutes a night. That's 3000 NHL minutes in 3 years. So, Hughes needed 2000 minutes to become a star. Laf is on 3000+ and has 12 shots in 9 games so far this season...

The difference is Hughes was handed the keys to the franchise from day 1 and Laf wasn’t. He’s more a victim of circumstance. While ice time matters, it’s context. PP1 minutes is where guys get their points. Every top scorer in the league has 40-60% of their pts on the PP. There are anomalies but that’s the standard

 

[Vito Andolini]

The difference is Hughes was handed the keys to the franchise from day 1 and Laf wasn’t. He’s more a victim of circumstance. While ice time matters, it’s context. PP1 minutes is where guys get their points. Every top scorer in the league has 40-60% of their pts on the PP. There are anomalies but that’s the standard

1. Hughes wasn't handed the keys from day 1. He averaged 16 mins in his 1st yr.

2. If you can't see the difference in skill and talent watching Jack Hughes vs. Laf, then I just dont know what you are watching.

 

[Stone97Ace]

New member here. Friends with Kovy27, KOCUR, Leetch, Inferno, among others.

Very rational poster, not one to over or under react.

Thanks for Kov for directing me here. I'm sure we will keep winning and Laffy will keep producing and we will all enjoy. Orange slices for all!

 

[bhamill]

Jack Hughes earned that time by virtue of his talent. He's not comparable to Laf. It's not even worth the time arguing this point.

And I agree game experience is important. And I'll already break my word and compare them....Jack Hughes was over a pt per game player by year 3. He played 61 and 56 games in years 1 and 2...averaging about 18 minutes a night. Thats's 2000 NHL minutes in his first 2 years. Laf has 3 years under his belt. He's played 56, 79, and 81 games...averaging about 14 minutes a night. That's 3000 NHL minutes in 3 years. So, Hughes needed 2000 minutes to become a star. Laf is on 3000+ and has 12 shots in 9 games so far this season...

Jack “earned” it by being 1OA. And with that opportunity had a worse D+1 than Laf regardless of how much talent he had. You pointing out what he was doing D+3 only supports what I said about his usage contributing to his development. Of course you’re going to compare them, everyone does when they think it helps their point. But why? I never said that Laf had a chance to be as good as Hughes. What I said is that Laf didn’t get the investment in his development and so has logically not developed as quickly as he could have. (TO HIS OWN POTENTIAL, not Hughes’) as quickly as most high picks do because generally they are given the things Jack was and Laf was not. You pointing out how advanced Jack is compared to Laf supports my point more than disputing it.

 

[savebyrichter94]

New member here. Friends with Kovy27, KOCUR, Leetch, Inferno, among others.

Very rational poster, not one to over or under react.

Thanks for Kov for directing me here. I'm sure we will keep winning and Laffy will keep producing and we will all enjoy. Orange slices for all!

Welcome To The Jungle!

 

[duhmetreE]

New member here. Friends with Kovy27, KOCUR, Leetch, Inferno, among others.

Very rational poster, not one to over or under react.

Thanks for Kov for directing me here. I'm sure we will keep winning and Laffy will keep producing and we will all enjoy. Orange slices for all!

Mentioning you know @Kocur26 has landed you on a list

 

[Mac n Gs]

I'm not sure why some people try to make the argument that it's impossible to produce in a lesser 5v5 role when plenty of very good-to-elite players have done it before getting moved up in the lineup.

What's most important is that his overall 5v5 play has been very good to start the year, and he's 1st and 4th in CF%rel and xGF%rel among our forwards. Individually, I still think he needs to find ways to shoot a bit more, even if it's a simple play like a pass-off-pads to generate a rebound. The sweet spot for him given his usage should be 3+ shot attempts/game at 5v5. It's not surprising, but those games this year involve some of the best performances from their entire line. Having no assists as of now is a bit fluky, but those will come in time; he's made some really nice set-ups that simply weren't finished

 

[NickyFotiu]

I'm not sure why some people try to make the argument that it's impossible to produce in a lesser 5v5 role when plenty of very good-to-elite players have done it before getting moved up in the lineup.

What's most important is that his overall 5v5 play has been very good to start the year, and he's 1st and 4th in CF%rel and xGF%rel among our forwards. Individually, I still think he needs to find ways to shoot a bit more, even if it's a simple play like a pass-off-pads to generate a rebound. The sweet spot for him given his usage should be 3+ shot attempts/game at 5v5. It's not surprising, but those games this year involve some of the best performances from their entire line. Having no assists as of now is a bit fluky, but those will come in time; he's made some really nice set-ups that simply weren't finished

I know people equate assists with passes but another benefit of Laf shooting more would be some rebound assists.

 

[LORDE]

New member here. Friends with Kovy27, KOCUR, Leetch, Inferno, among others.

Very rational poster, not one to over or under react.

Thanks for Kov for directing me here. I'm sure we will keep winning and Laffy will keep producing and we will all enjoy. Orange slices for all!

Welcome!

You can collect your foil hat at the door.

 

[SA16]

The difference is Hughes was handed the keys to the franchise from day 1 and Laf wasn’t. He’s more a victim of circumstance. While ice time matters, it’s context. PP1 minutes is where guys get their points. Every top scorer in the league has 40-60% of their pts on the PP. There are anomalies but that’s the standard

Jack Hughes played 15:52 per game his rookie year and was 8th amongst Devils forwards in 5v5 TOI/game (500+ mins). He was used in a third line role with first unit PP time. He was hardly given a big role right away,

 

[EdJovanovski]

The difference is Hughes was handed the keys to the franchise from day 1 and Laf wasn’t. He’s more a victim of circumstance. While ice time matters, it’s context. PP1 minutes is where guys get their points. Every top scorer in the league has 40-60% of their pts on the PP. There are anomalies but that’s the standard

The difference is that Hughes is one of the greatest skaters of all time and Lafreniere is below average.

 

[will1066]

The difference is that Hughes is one of the greatest skaters of all time and Lafreniere is below average.

I hate it when you have moments of clarity.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Jack Hughes played 15:52 per game his rookie year and was 8th amongst Devils forwards in 5v5 TOI/game (500+ mins). He was used in a third line role with first unit PP time. He was hardly given a big role right away,

Laf is not Jack Hughes. Any implications that Laf would be as good as Hughes offensively with more PP time will fail just as any implications that Jack Hughes is as physical as Laf. They are almost complete opposites in some ways.
Barry Beck was one of my favorite players ever. He would never be as good offensively as Cale Makar no matter how much Barry played on the PP. Cale on the other hand will never be the kind of hitter Barry was. Different skill sets. Has nothing to do with minutes played.

 

[SA16]

Laf is not Jack Hughes. Any implications that Laf would be as good as Hughes offensively with more PP time will fail just as any implications that Jack Hughes is as physical as Laf. They are almost complete opposites in some ways.
Barry Beck was one of my favorite players ever. He would never be as good offensively as Cale Makar no matter how much Barry played on the PP. Cale on the other hand will never be the kind of hitter Barry was. Different skill sets. Has nothing to do with minutes played.

He’s not close to Jack Hughes but that also doesn’t mean we should revise history to claim Jack Hughes immediately was given a big role in New Jersey. He wasn’t. He was a third liner. He got less 5v5 ice time his rookie year than Laf did.

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

I'm not sure why some people try to make the argument that it's impossible to produce in a lesser 5v5 role when plenty of very good-to-elite players have done it before getting moved up in the lineup.

What's most important is that his overall 5v5 play has been very good to start the year, and he's 1st and 4th in CF%rel and xGF%rel among our forwards. Individually, I still think he needs to find ways to shoot a bit more, even if it's a simple play like a pass-off-pads to generate a rebound. The sweet spot for him given his usage should be 3+ shot attempts/game at 5v5. It's not surprising, but those games this year involve some of the best performances from their entire line. Having no assists as of now is a bit fluky, but those will come in time; he's made some really nice set-ups that simply weren't finished

This, plus he got completely cheated out of an assist the first game, he's had a bunch of third assists on plays with sustained possession, and he made the key pass on the disallowed Chytil goal which is still a grey area IMO similar to the "putting yourself offside" situation that really isn't in keeping with the offside rule and should be looked at.

9-4-2-6 would look a lot better for those satisfied with the eye test thus far but lamenting the lack of results. Also, when Chytil gets going, that should help everyone. He was buzzing early in the season and is clearly frustrated with not having scored yet, and it looks like it's affected his confidence the last few games. Reminds me a lot of Alexei Kovalev in 1997-98. Took him forever to score, and the goal got disallowed (that was the year of the crease BS). Eventually he got one, it kickstarted a hot streak, and eventually his numbers ended up where they typically did for him back then. I think Chytil could do the same b/c he's a very streaky scorer, and then the assists will start coming more for Laf.