Player Discussion Alexis Lafreniere

[duhmetreE]

he looks much slimmer and quicker here.

The path back for him is becoming a better athlete and honing his skills. Training like a McDavid or Bedard ( or a Kreider )

Even guys like Mika didn't 'breakout' until he put in the work. He trained with Kreider one offseason and magically had his best season following.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

he looks much slimmer and quicker here.

The path back for him is becoming a better athlete and honing his skills. Training like a McDavid or Bedard ( or a Kreider )

Even guys like Mika didn't 'breakout' until he put in the work. He trained with Kreider one offseason and magically had his best season following.

Everything about his demeanor and action is quicker, decisive and with purpose.

I mean it takes all of 3 seconds into that clip to notice he is a player with a completely different level of confidence. He's not thinking about skating or skills, hes just doing it.

He's just out their playing the game, letting it come to him instead of forcing/thinking/manufacturing things that arent there

 

[Greschner4]

Has Laf walked from the boards to the middle high blue line a single time in the NHL like he did in the first WJC highlight?

 

[Greschner4]

The player in the WJC highlights is 1OA worthy. Something's gone amiss.

He should have been given PP minutes from the get-go. I now agree.

 

[bhamill]

I can't comment about Laf's offseason because I do not have any specific information about what Laf did or did not do.

I will say sometimes young guys think they are working hard and that is not really the case. So is working hard 5 days a week 4 hours a day? Or is it twice a week for 1 hour a day? Gary Roberts mentioned this. He went from a guy that was not working hard as a young player to a guy known as one of the hardest workers in the NHL.

I absolutely believe that some young, especially successful, players/athletes may become complacent with the undoubtedly hard work they have put in to gain the level of success they have achieved, but sometime don't take that next step and actually work HARDER than they are used to, to gain success at a higher level of competition. There is almost ALWAYS another level of hard work that a young player can aspire to. And who knows, but maybe that's Laf. Maybe he believes he's working hard enough, but maybe what he really needs is for someone to demonstrate that he needs that next level. Again, like the rest of you, I have no idea how hard he does or doesn't work, but there's a fair bit of smoke...

 

[duhmetreE]

The player in the WJC highlights is 1OA worthy. Something's gone amiss.

He should have been given PP minutes from the get-go. I now agree.

covid.

It ruined our one and only #1OA and it ruined our top vets. All magically got 'lazier' over covid.

 

[CLW]

he looks much slimmer and quicker here.

The path back for him is becoming a better athlete and honing his skills. Training like a McDavid or Bedard ( or a Kreider )

Even guys like Mika didn't 'breakout' until he put in the work. He trained with Kreider one offseason and magically had his best season following.

I always thought the Rangers having him bulk up rather than focus on speed and quickness was a major mistake. There were videos back then (from his first summer) where he worked out with his personal trainer to beef himself up. But this kid needs to move and hustle out there, not be a step behind the play because he can't keep up.

 

[duhmetreE]

I always thought the Rangers having him bulk up rather than focus on speed and quickness was a major mistake. There were videos back then where he worked out with his personal trainer to beef himself up. But this kid needs to move and hustle out there, not be a step behind the play because he can't keep up.

you could do both... Becoming more dynamic and explosive while adding strength is doable.

Getting 'heavier' means little.

 

[LokiDog]

Everything about his demeanor and action is quicker, decisive and with purpose.

I mean it takes all of 3 seconds into that clip to notice he is a player with a completely different level of confidence. He's not thinking about skating or skills, hes just doing it.

He's just out their playing the game, letting it come to him instead of forcing/thinking/manufacturing things that arent there

I don’t think it’s the confidence that was the initial problem. Now I’m sure it’s getting to him. In watching these highlights it’s very clear his athleticism was better. It has me almost wondering it a lot of his problems are a snowball effect from sitting back during Covid, knowing you’re going 1st and with camp and everything being delayed having a much longer offseason than normal and letting himself get out of shape and then that snowballing into struggles that turn to demotions and benching that turns to shot confidence.

Because yes, it is preseason, but I agree with Vince - Laf is being given a chance to stick in the top six this camp and he’s letting it slip through his fingers by looking like Panarin with nothing to prove and no reason to hustle. Except he does have a reason. Which makes me wonder if that means it’s effort or it’s conditioning.

Nicky said it last page but sometimes guys Laf’s age think they’re working hard in the summer but aren’t really. They think an hour every morning of cardio and weights for an hour 4 days a week is enough (and it’s good for a normal person) but their peers are putting in 4 hours 6 days a week, which means they’re training 11 hours a week and their peers are training 24. Gary Roberts’ example is perfect. It’s not necessarily even laziness. It’s just not realizing that it isn’t enough and how much conditioning and “jump” is holding you back.

 

[CLW]

you could do both... Becoming more dynamic and explosive while adding strength is doable.

Getting 'heavier' means little.

Well he got heavier but not so much more dynamic and explosive. More work required.

 

[Priorae]

I have never bought the "he needs to work hard" narrative. I'm sure he trains. We just don't see the flashes of ability we all expect...ever. We'd even take inconsistency if from time to time he splashed a wow (Kakko did this with his puck handling).

Right now he's just consistently a ghost and for those saying pre-season doesn't matter...it absolutely does if your third head coach starts to write you off.

 

[CLW]

I have never bought the "he needs to work hard" narrative. I'm sure he trains. We just don't see the flashes of ability we all expect...ever. We'd even take inconsistency if from time to time he splashed a wow (Kakko did this with his puck handling).

Right now he's just consistently a ghost and for those saying pre-season doesn't matter...it absolutely does if your third head coach starts to write you off.

As LokiDog said. There's training and there's training. There was a promo shot from the Rangers at the start of the season. You see Kreider do a push up with a clap, and you see Laffy do a push up with a clap. One is clearly more focused and driven than the other. Guess which one was impressive? The devil's in the details.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

I don't think his talent has translated to the NHL game. Players are bigger, faster, and stronger. Guys have less time and space to make a play. You see it all the time in college football. QBs on really good teams torch the league, go first overall but they just can't adapt. This isn't a PP time or line mate thing, I just don't think his game has adapted yet. Maybe it will, maybe it won't.

 

[Hannibal]

If it comes to to trading the guy, what do you guys even needs in return? Your team seems pretty deep everywhere.

 

[JCProdigy]

Where was it reported that he's been (or had been) working with her? I missed that. Thanks

 

[duhmetreE]

I don't think his talent has translated to the NHL game. Players are bigger, faster, and stronger. Guys have less time and space to make a play. You see it all the time in college football. QBs on really good teams torch the league, go first overall but they just can't adapt. This isn't a PP time or line mate thing, I just don't think his game has adapted yet. Maybe it will, maybe it won't.

he doesn't even resemble the same player he was in juniors.

he used to be light on his feet and somewhat dynamic... he's a sloth in comparison now, everything he does is slow and telegraphed.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

he doesn't even resemble the same player he was in juniors.

he used to be light on his feet and somewhat dynamic... he's a sloth in comparison now, everything he does is slow and telegraphed.

Better competition can do that to a player I would imagine.

 

[CLW]

he doesn't even resemble the same player he was in juniors.

he used to be light on his feet and somewhat dynamic... he's a sloth in comparison now, everything he does is slow and telegraphed.

That's what I meant with him bulking up - but losing the mobility/agility/quickness/sharpness.

 

[will1066]

If it comes to to trading the guy, what do you guys even needs in return? Your team seems pretty deep everywhere.

Our core is aging. Our core is a paper tiger and not as good as other top cores. I doubt we ever do a proper and full rebuild. But whatever we do, the philosophy needs to be grow from within. At this point Laf is good for below-top/above-mid futures. For now, we seem to have found a decent 3LD which has been yearslong issue. While we look deep, I can't say that any of the blue chip youngsters up and down the lineup -- which means not just the forwards -- have really met expectations.

And the problem with our GM Drury is that he is so secretive, we simply do not know what he's thinking most of the time. We don't know what he's working on. He has snitches eliminated. Rather than putting his phone number in at the Trumbull, Connecticut Stop & Shop to get discounts, he pays full to avoid leaving any trail. He pays cash and doesn't follow the instructions on the pinpad.

 

[JHS]

I don’t disagree that it looks like Laf half assed it on that goal. Lavi tho wasn’t happy with the entire teams effort not just Laf.
I’m not rushing to judgement on Laf or the team for a little while as most of us expected a learning curve. Getting used to a system takes time, and this is gonna be a slow start.

But it’s also more than a little ridiculous that people say Laf puts in no work, and gets fat in the off-season, comments like that, because he doesn’t post his workouts on social media. The expectation is that he puts in the work, and from his comments to reporters it sounds like that’s what he did.

This getting used to new systems stuff is such a joke- yeah that's why their defensive coverage might look a little confused now and then- that's why the neutral zone might be a little more wide open that it ideally should-- but that's not the reason why 3/4ths of the roster looks like they are still on summer break.

 

[duhmetreE]

Better competition can do that to a player I would imagine.

It's a double negative.. He became a worse athlete and is facing better competition.

That's what I meant with him bulking up - but losing the mobility/agility/quickness/sharpness.

With a bulk should eventually come a cut. He's on a 4 year bulk it seems.

 

[IDvsEGO]

And the problem with our GM Drury is that he is so secretive, we simply do not know what he's thinking most of the time. We don't know what he's working on. He has snitches eliminated. Rather than putting his phone number in at the Trumbull, Connecticut Stop & Shop to get discounts, he pays full to avoid leaving any trail. He pays cash and doesn't follow the instructions on the pinpad.

wtf should drury be doing? Posting on hf to get our opinion?
This take is out there.
I can easily get a sense of how he evaluated a roster by his moves. I don’t need him to announce a thesis statement on his upcoming moves, I get that when he makes a move.
This seems like just random drury hate because he’s not hosting a press conference every 3 weeks to ask fans what he should do…

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Nicky said it last page but sometimes guys Laf’s age think they’re working hard in the summer but aren’t really. They think an hour every morning of cardio and weights for an hour 4 days a week is enough (and it’s good for a normal person) but their peers are putting in 4 hours 6 days a week, which means they’re training 11 hours a week and their peers are training 24. Gary Roberts’ example is perfect. It’s not necessarily even laziness. It’s just not realizing that it isn’t enough and how much conditioning and “jump” is holding you back.

Yes.

This may be a big part of it and why the smoke surrounding his work ethic may be true. We just dont know what goes on really so we will never know - but if it is the case, sometimes people "get it" a little bit later than others. It may be the case with Laf and why I dont think we should give up on him.

I've done Gary Roberts' Program twice and I can tell you its a full schedule. If you are doing it a pro level you have to combine diet and even more training/focus. I did it in my late 30's and that was after years of playing competitively. I just never took training that seriously. But it was more than just doing wall sits, hip bridges, sprints and foot speed exercises. There was an INTENT behind it.

Obviously I'm no pro athlete getting paid millions, but if you are serious about anything one day it dawns on you that working harder and planning every little detail yields results. Its not just going through the motions.

So this very well may be the case. You can't coast through on talent alone it needs to be worked on tirelessly to improve, especially at the highest level because mostly everyone else is doing the same

 

[JHS]

I have never bought the "he needs to work hard" narrative. I'm sure he trains. We just don't see the flashes of ability we all expect...ever. We'd even take inconsistency if from time to time he splashed a wow (Kakko did this with his puck handling).

Right now he's just consistently a ghost and for those saying pre-season doesn't matter...it absolutely does if your third head coach starts to write you off.

Exactly- and it gives you an insight into Laf's mentality. If he's not driven to make a leap now considering he's the lowest paid first overall pick in over 20 years and it's for a coach that went out of his way to say he'd get a chance-- honestly I don't think he ever will be motivated. If this is "his best" than he's a career 40 point a year player or basically NHL average.

 

[Greschner4]

He never should have bulked up. It didn't work and didn't take. He's thicker, slower, and less agile than he was in the WJC. If he bulked up to be better to be a third liner, because he was blocked from the top two lines and needed to be "good in the corners" and whatnot like a third liner, it's organizational malpractice.

I'm warming to the idea that a lot of this is the Rangers' fault.