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

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HockeyBasedNYC said:
I dont even think that video room session covered half of whats improved for Lafreniere.

On the surface, all of that was good to see. The pulling up to assess the rush and options, the confidence, the pace, etc.

But there is a night and day difference in his skating power, edges, the routes he takes with and without the pucks. His body protection of the puck. His bachecking. The little escape plays he makes on the walls to maintain possession. His uncanny ability to maintain possession and convert high-difficulty passes. His reads of the play and the positions of his teammates. Patience with the puck. His shot selection and finishing ability (coming on a little late here).

Everything thing has improved and is at a higher level/pace. Some things more than others but overall he's taken a huge step this season.

Im sure hundreds of hockey fans will look at his numbers compared to Trocheck and Panarin and be underwhelmed, but its doesn't tell half the story (despite being on pace for 23-27-50 with no significant PP time). They will likely say its a result of him playing with those two, especially Panarin. With a little luck and a shooting % closer to his career average he would be approaching 60 points.

But he is heavily involved and a huge part of why that line is been one of the best in the league
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That’s what I see. His legs are a lot stronger.
He was even quoted early in the year on playin with bread” I try to skate as fast as I can to open ice” last year, his legs couldn’t get him there….
Confidence is also a key, but watching him this year, his legs are always moving, it’s giving him more time to create/diagnose plays.
Plus these 2 guys are more talented than his last 2 linemates.

He has to get on the PP sooner rather than later imo.
A man down is when scorers get a lot more open ice to shoot/pass, in turn will boost his pt totals as well as his confidence. Maybe he tries some new things 5v5 he normally wouldn’t??

Like I’ve said previously, he’s always had the shot/hands/vision, but now that his legs are constantly moving he’s processing the game better because he’s now in better situations.
He’s also better defensively cause his legs/stamina are just at another level then 2 years prior.
He’s also getting more ice time…… I’d be finding ways to increase it if I were coach, but that’s just me.
 
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jay from jersey said:
That’s what I see. His legs are a lot stronger.
He was even quoted early in the year on playin with bread” I try to skate as fast as I can to open ice” last year, his legs couldn’t get him there….
Confidence is also a key, but watching him this year, his legs are always moving, it’s giving him more time to create/diagnose plays.
Plus these 2 guys are more talented than his last 2 linemates.

He has to get on the PP sooner rather than later imo.
A man down is when scorers get a lot more open ice to shoot/pass, in turn will boost his pt totals as well as his confidence. Maybe he tries some new things 5v5 he normally wouldn’t??

Like I’ve said previously, he’s always had the shot/hands/vision, but now that his legs are constantly moving he’s processing the game better because he’s now in better situations.
He’s also better defensively cause his legs/stamina are just at another level then 2 years prior.
He’s also getting more ice time…… I’d be finding ways to increase it if I were coach, but that’s just me.
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I think you may have things backwards a bit?
He's still skating basically the same speed, he was never "slow" he just had/has shit acceleration compared to mackinnon/mcdavid. His top end has always been enough.
But because it takes him more than a stride to get to top speed, he needs to start moving sooner.
Having confidence in his game, he's more confident in moving and so is moving faster initially.
The ice time helps. The fact that he's thrown out in clutch situations helps.

As the video pointed out, the fact that he's throwing backhands to the middle of the ice shows how confident he is. He's had an elite backhand since juniors, but my guess is that quinn and gallant basically said if he ever tried that he'd never see the ice again.
 
IDvsEGO said:
I think you may have things backwards a bit?
He's still skating basically the same speed, he was never "slow" he just had/has shit acceleration compared to mackinnon/mcdavid. His top end has always been enough.
But because it takes him more than a stride to get to top speed, he needs to start moving sooner.
Having confidence in his game, he's more confident in moving and so is moving faster initially.
The ice time helps. The fact that he's thrown out in clutch situations helps.

As the video pointed out, the fact that he's throwing backhands to the middle of the ice shows how confident he is. He's had an elite backhand since juniors, but my guess is that quinn and gallant basically said if he ever tried that he'd never see the ice again.
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He’s def more confident with the puck on his stick.
But in prior years he never got any separation to give himself time to make a play….
There’s a noticeable difference in his first 2-3 strides as opposed to last season. I don’t think he’s starting sooner, I think he’s moving his legs constantly.
He’ll never be a Hughes/McDavid speed or a burner, but getting that initial separation has really slowed the game down for him and allowed him to make plays and gain confidence.
He also has a coach this season that put him with tro/bread and I think that whole line has rubbed off on each other.

I see a noticeable change in his skating… there were periods in the past where he looked like he was skating in mud and couldn’t get away from the opposing player to even get off a pass/shot
 
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SnowblindNYR said:
I used to root against Byfield (and Stutzle) because I wanted Laf to be better than him. Glad I don't have to do that anymore since Laf has turned into a really good player.
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Byfield has really took off this year. Hes really the talk of the town over in LA

19-30-49 for him in 66.

However, Laf has 1 more even strength point than him this season, so they are having similar breakouts

Speaking of goal scoring, Laf has 0.75 Goals scored 5on5 per 60.

Thats around the same or more than players like Draisaitl, Barkov, E. Kane, Hagel, Scheifele, RNH, R. Thomas, Barbashev and Bratt

And it’s a higher rate than Jack Hughes
 
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SnowblindNYR said:
I used to root against Byfield (and Stutzle) because I wanted Laf to be better than him. Glad I don't have to do that anymore since Laf has turned into a really good player.
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imagine being Laf though. You desperately want to put up high end point totals and match your peers but you can’t get on the power play in year 4 because you still gotta watch Mika go out there and be worse than you at every aspect of hockey
 
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I feel like he’s taken the whole season much more serious on the ice, don’t get me wrong, i loved that he was a goof ball , but this season his always looks serious, no more goofy smiles every time the camera is on him.
 
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