theathletic.com
I like this part:Ranking the NHL's top 10 most improved players of 2023-24
The players are ranked from No. 10 to No. 1 based on how much they've improved, not on overall impact.
Laf ranks 6th in the NHL in 5on5 Expected Goals
His skating has noticeably improved. No doubt about it. If you dont see that you werent watching closely enough.
Not according to the experts here. Bunch of us got roasted for saying he worked on his skating over the summer. Shocking.
There is nothing wrong with tweaking it by a player to see if it kick starts it again with a different look every once and awhile. If it doesn't work you can easily just change it back.
How am I making it sound like it's some long term problem? I said to tweak it to see if it kick starts a stale PP. Maybe some players shoot more? Maybe we have more puck movement and players moving around with a new face.
I want to try Laf on PP1 to try a different look that could be more dynamic which many highly successful powerplays have tried in the past with success (see Tampa a few years ago). He's clearly been one of our best offensive forwards at 5-on-5, and it's worth seeing if he can improve with his regular linemates in a spot that adds a new look we don't currently have to our top unit. Mika has been hot ass at 5-on-5 this year, and has not really been a play driver on the PP either as in the past.
I think most of the roasting was of people who saw his play and skating in pre season and were saying "He looks exactly the same. Trade him for a 5th. His next contract should be a PTO." etc, and then when he started breaking out in the regular season started proclaiming that he must have finally worked on his skating over the summer...
Do you see how his latest 28 game stretch breaks down between high, mid and low danger AND how it compares to career?
I feel like a broken record, but they should integrate Laf onto PP1 when the game isn't on the line. It's called "having options." The PP isn't always great. Right now for instance. Last post season against the Devils, too. Arguably lost us the series. It would be nice to have other options when the powerplay inevitably slumps, or someone gets hurt. Integrate him NOW, so its ready for prime time when we need a tweak. When did preparation and contingencies become such esoteric concepts?
We were also told that he HAD to play on PP 1 for confidence reasons, turns out that was a bunch of BS too
Our PP the last 5 games is operating at 12.5%. A percentage that would be 31st in the league. We have went 1-4 in those 5 games. How many of those games were lost because the PP wasn't clicking? It's fine to change something up when something isn't working at the moment. And one of the two goals we scored during those 5 games were with Laf replacing Mika.
Because when Zib was out sick and Laf was on the unit it didn't miss a beat.
Contrast to Kakko who lost confidence as the season went along and his line struggled to score. Kakko started looking slower and weaker and less engaged, while Laf started looking faster and stronger
not just that it's slowing down, but that he is slowing it down as well. he's able to make some moves to keep defenders from just closing fast on him and riding him off the puck. He's gotten shifty enough and confident enough to buy some time, change his direction of attack, change up the flow of things and look for the trailing players or open passes
There is no basis for claiming this PP unit is our "optimal group" except results from last year.
It would be a massive positive for this team if Kakko took the next step as well.
