Player Discussion Alexis Lafreniere

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Yeah certain aspects of Kaks game make Laf look like shit and last summer it was very vice-versa to some here and within our fanbase and media.

The biggest difference between the two is that Kakko still impacts the game if he doesn't get points, whereas Lafrenière doesn't. At age 21 there is still so much room and time to grow and develop though. It's far from over. I just hate that we can't even get early returns from a 1st and 2nd overall pick. This organisation is truly rotten.

 

[LemonSauceD]

Canucks fan here.

Just wanted to let you guys know I got sources telling me Lafreniere is hitting 70 points this season. Expect about 40 goals give or take. Just make sure Laviolette gets the memo

Lafreniere gonna show them bums how it’s done. I’ve never seen anyone pull off the between the legs as buttery smooth as him. My advice, play him 25 minutes a night. Kids got that Gretzky imagination.

 

[Irishguy42]

Canucks fan here.

Just wanted to let you guys know I got sources telling me Lafreniere is hitting 70 points this season. Expect about 40 goals give or take. Just make sure Laviolette gets the memo

Lafreniere gonna show them bums how it’s done. I’ve never seen anyone pull off the between the legs as buttery smooth as him. My advice, play him 25 minutes a night. Kids got that Gretzky imagination.

Screenshotting this and making it my desktop background

 

[haohmaru]

Canucks fan here.

Just wanted to let you guys know I got sources telling me Lafreniere is hitting 70 points this season. Expect about 40 goals give or take. Just make sure Laviolette gets the memo

Lafreniere gonna show them bums how it’s done. I’ve never seen anyone pull off the between the legs as buttery smooth as him. My advice, play him 25 minutes a night. Kids got that Gretzky imagination.

"sources telling me"?

This place.

 

[LemonSauceD]

"sources telling me"?

This place.

Sorry I am
Schizophrenic.

 

[haohmaru]

Sorry I am
Schizophrenic.

That would explain the prediction. Cheers if you're right.

 

[JHS]

Glad to see I left this thread and @bhamill left it and simply new people took over the same exhausted arguments we made! Has the puck dropped on this season so we can argue how invisible Laf is most shifts rather than having to speculate why he is invisible most shifts?

 

[Rongomania]

Glad to see I left this thread and @bhamill left it and simply new people took over the same exhausted arguments we made! Has the puck dropped on this season so we can argue how invisible Laf is most shifts rather than having to speculate why he is invisible most shifts?

He's 21 and has better stats than Mika at the same age. That's one that never gets old.

 

[Leonardo87]

This will be the Laf discussion thread moving forward.

 

[JHS]

He's 21 and has better stats than Mika at the same age. That's one that never gets old.

And Mica was a very late developing prospect so yeah I could see how that is true and yet still not really promoting the "Laf is a noticeable player" storyline.

 

[Machinehead]

There's like 15 wingers in the league I'd demote Kreider for to get them more ice time.

Lafreniere is not one of the 15.

 

[will1066]

Just have this on repeat until the season starts.

 

[Ruggs225]

There's like 15 wingers in the league I'd demote Kreider for to get them more ice time.

Lafreniere is not one of the 15.

Would be for me. The big picture is this franchise aint winning shit unless Laf and Kakko become all stars. Kreider is not good enough to carry the team to a SC and whats the point then.

If laf and Kakko fail then u know it is time to try to rebuild again bc we dont have the pieces up front. Especially since shesty needs a major contract coming up.

But yeah this franchise always looks at “this year” and doesnt ever really give a shit about the bigger picture. Which is why we have one cup in over 80 years.

This year of Kreider means jack shit if you cant get Laf and Kakko playing the way a #1 and 2 should be.

That alone is reason enough to demote Kreider to 3rd line.

 

[Rongomania]

Glad to see I left this thread and @bhamill left it and simply new people took over the same exhausted arguments we made! Has the puck dropped on this season so we can argue how invisible Laf is most shifts rather than having to speculate why he is invisible most shifts?

I think he also had a coach who didn't know how to coach high ceiling kids correctly. That point is beyond proven as he almost bungled Kaks development as well.

I do agree we need to see more visible shifts on a consistent basis - absolutely.

With the Mika comparison, the dude is a solid beast 1C and arguably the 2nd best PPG scorer on earth next to only literally the god of PPG's. Sometimes, you just gotta be real patient. See: The Ottawa Senators.

 

[Ruggs225]

Truthfully, i go all in with Kakko and Laf this year or at least the first half of the year.

Like 1PP time and all. Dont care if Kreider gets demoted to PP2 and trying to tip in Trouba bombs.

It just doesnt matter. The only thing that matters is getting Laf and Kakko to be PpG players or at least damn close.

bC as i stated before, if they arent. Tbis team isnt winning.

Sorry Kreider is not carrying a twam on his back.Neither is Zib. And we all know panarin isnt during the Playoffs.


Need to just rip the bandaid off, release these two and sink or awim.
And if they fail, then know ir is time to start looking to trade assets such as kreider, trouba, panarin etc, even if u eat salary bc this team will not be winning anything.

Literally cup aspirations rest on Laf and Kakkos shoulders. We will only go as far as these two develop this year.

So go all in on them!

 

[Machinehead]

Would be for me. The big picture is this franchise aint winning shit unless Laf and Kakko become all stars. Kreider is not good enough to carry the team to a SC and whats the point then.

If laf and Kakko fail then u know it is time to try to rebuild again bc we dont have the pieces up front. Especially since shesty needs a major contract coming up.

But yeah this franchise always looks at “this year” and doesnt ever really give a shit about the bigger picture. Which is why we have one cup in over 80 years.

This year of Kreider means jack shit if you cant get Laf and Kakko playing the way a #1 and 2 should be.

That alone is reason enough to demote Kreider to 3rd line.

Laf and Kakko at their projected ceilings likely wouldn't be good enough to "carry the team to a SC."

There's no secret recipe other than just having good players and playing them a lot. Kreider is one of the most effective wingers in the league.

Lafreniere already plays more than Kreider at even strength (he shouldn't) and there's not a coach in the world that's going to give him more PP time than Kreider, Fox, Zibanejad, or Panarin. Are you suggesting that PK time is going to turn him into a star?

I'm all for putting him in the top six however they deem fit, and his TOI is already firmly in the top six among our forwards. Beyond that, he gets the minutes he earns.

 

[Ruggs225]

Laf and Kakko at their projected ceilings likely wouldn't be good enough to "carry the team to a SC."

There's no secret recipe other than just having good players and playing them a lot. Kreider is one of the most effective wingers in the league.

Lafreniere already plays more than Kreider at even strength (he shouldn't) and there's not a coach in the world that's going to give him more PP time than Kreider, Fox, Zibanejad, or Panarin. Are you suggesting that PK time is going to turn him into a star?

I'm all for putting him in the top six however they deem fit, and his TOI is already firmly in the top six among our forwards. Beyond that, he gets the minutes he earns.

Their projected ceilings were much higher when they were drafted. I still have hope that they can get close to the level. Because i firmly believe that their two previous coaches were atrocious.

Again, kreider is an elite complimentary player. He is not a game breaker, and frankly is invisible in a high amount of games.

This team will only go as far as laf and kakko develop. Kreider, zib, panarin, trocheck are all getting older and i dont see any who will be getting better. They are what they are. And currently thats not enough.

 

[Rongomania]

Their projected ceilings were much higher when they were drafted. I still have hope that they can get close to the level. Because i firmly believe that their two previous coaches were atrocious.

Again, kreider is an elite complimentary player. He is not a game breaker, and frankly is invisible in a high amount of games.

This team will only go as far as laf and kakko develop. Kreider, zib, panarin, trocheck are all getting older and i dont see any who will be getting better. They are what they are. And currently thats not enough.

Preacher preachin' today!

 

[Machinehead]

Their projected ceilings were much higher when they were drafted. I still have hope that they can get close to the level. Because i firmly believe that their two previous coaches were atrocious.

Again, kreider is an elite complimentary player. He is not a game breaker, and frankly is invisible in a high amount of games.

This team will only go as far as laf and kakko develop. Kreider, zib, panarin, trocheck are all getting older and i dont see any who will be getting better. They are what they are. And currently thats not enough.

It's not enough because our depth sucks. If Lafreniere and Kakko could just be legitimate top six players then we would probably be a contender. We don't need them to be superstars, we just need them to be good. They've had plenty of opportunities to be good, especially Lafreniere. Throw Chytil in there too who may as well have not been out there against Jersey after being great in 2022.

The veterans carry us to the playoffs and then we blame the veterans when we lose in the playoffs to a better team.

 

[Ruggs225]

It's not enough because our depth sucks. If Lafreniere and Kakko could just be legitimate top six players then we would probably be a contender. We don't need them to be superstars, we just need them to be good. They've had plenty of opportunities to be good, especially Lafreniere. Throw Chytil in there too who may as well have not been out there against Jersey after being great in 2022.

The veterans carry us to the playoffs and then we blame the veterans when we lose in the playoffs to a better team.

These two were not drsfted to be support players and to just be top six.

They were drafted to be the core of our future. Iltime to give them a real god famn chance bc the rest of our corp forwards frankly sucks compared to NtampaC, NJD, Toronto, Florida and other contenders in the east. We dont have a game breaker or someone who will carry the team in the playoffs.

And Kreider is not, has never been and never will be that player.

Peopl here bitch about laf and kakko not developing but then never commit to them actually getting the time and opportunity to develop.

Third line playing together woth 15 sec pp time is not opportunity. Neither is a 5 game stint in the top 6.

Enough with the shut, throw them to the wolves and just go with it.

U can always revert back to thr vets in the second half of the season, but in the first half i go with them in the top six with high PP time.

Sink or swim.

The franchise depends on them. Its time for the org to do whats best for the franchis for now and the future instead of just trying to make the PO’s

Because our Vets are not good enough! Not nearly.

And hopefully a real coach like Lavs will understand that. Bc gallant might have been the worst coach ever for them and quinn was a deer in headlights.

And i fully understand that kreider is currently better than Laf. And thats the problem. Laf needs to become the best player on this team or at least the second best.

He needs real opportunity, and needs it now.

 

[Machinehead]

These two were not drsfted to be support players and to just be top six.

They were drafted to be the core of our future. Iltime to give them a real god famn chance bc the rest of our corp forwards frankly sucks compared to NtampaC, NJD, Toronto, Florida and other contenders in the east. We dont have a game breaker or someone who will carry the team in the playoffs.

And Kreider is not, has never been and never will be that player.

Peopl here bitch about laf and kakko not developing but then never commit to them actually getting the time and opportunity to develop.

Third line playing together woth 15 sec pp time is not opportunity. Neither is a 5 game stint in the top 6.

Enough with the shut, throw them to the wolves and just go with it.

U can always revert back to thr vets in the second half of the season, but in the first half i go with them in the top six with high PP time.

Sink or swim.

The franchise depends on them. Its time for the org to do whats best for the franchis for now and the future instead of just trying to make the PO’s

Because our Vets are not good enough! Not nearly.

And hopefully a real coach like Lavs will understand that. Bc gallant might have been the worst coach ever for them and quinn was a deer in headlights.

And i fully understand that kreider is currently better than Laf. And thats the problem. Laf needs to become the best player on this team or at least the second best.

He needs real opportunity, and needs it now.

I got news for you: Lafreniere is not, has never been and never will be that player.

If you're talking about players a tier above Kreider, you're talking about the true superstars in the league.

Hell, this conversation includes Panarin who is a three-time postseason all-star at LW and a Hart Finalist.

If Lafreniere was any of that, he would have shown it by now.

If this group of players doesn't win in the next couple of years, I'm all for resetting, but Kreider and Panarin will be major parts of the next couple of years, and if Lafreniere continues the way he's gone, I don't see him being a major factor in a rebuild.

Kreider probably is, and Panarin definitely is, a better player than Lafreniere ever had the potential to be.

 

[Peltz]

The concept that the rangers didn't do a proper rebuild is absoutely insane.
They tore down faster and more complete than any other rebuild I've ever seen.
They "lucked out" in getting kakko and laf, but their targets were zegras and lundell.
They had 8 first round picks in 5 years.
The only UFA they truly acquired was panarin.

Uh…. Strome? Trouba? Goodrow? Trocheck?

 

[Peltz]

Just have this on repeat until the season starts.

It was one goal two years ago with a three goal lead against a nearly last place team after getting healthy-scratched in the prior game.

But sure, that clip inspires all the confidence in the world!

 

[SA16]

Uh…. Strome? Trouba? Goodrow? Trocheck?

Strome and Trouba were not UFAs. Trocheck was a signed a year after making the eastern conference final. Were they supposed to be rebuilding at that point?

 

[will1066]

It was one goal two years ago with a three goal lead against a nearly last place team after getting healthy-scratched in the prior game.

But sure, that clip inspires all the confidence in the world!

You must be a blast at parties!


7 months ago, instead of 2 years. OT. Makes two Flames crash into each other.