100000% I'm happy im not the only one who sees this. I feel like im in the Twilight Zone sometimes.
Im not sure he "bulked" up with the goal of becoming a heavier player. I know there was some speculation about that. I think its a natural thing for any young player to want to put on some weight because they will be competing against men. See Othmann this offseason.
Yes exactly right- it's way more likely both Kappo and Laf are just not very good than it is to say the organization screwed both of them up.
I actually think Kakko is poised to have a big year. The one who's actually shown improvement year to year.
yes but not surprisingly Kakko has shown improvement almost exclusively in defensive play and puck possession: ie. he's becoming a better and better checking line forward. He still flubs every shot and pass and his offense is as stagnant as Lafreniere. That's the point.
nypost.com
I think he looks much better offensively than he did his first year here and he still generates offensive chances. He just doesn't shoot or shoots too late. If you want to say that's a product of something the Rangers are doing or did, maybe. I don't know if I agree but I have no proof one way or the other but you could be right. I will say though, Kakko looks like a legit NHL player. He's not afraid to try and make a play.
This is where I disagree. Jack Hughes was always going to be Jack Hughes he just needed to fill out. If a guy is that good, they should be able to show it 3 years into the league, regardless of what line he's on or who he's playing with. People make it like Laff has been buried here. They've tried him everywhere. At what point do you look at the player and say, maybe it's on him?
Yeah I do not pretend to know how hard Laf worked this offseason. I just wish we had some reports like Laf came in to camp in great shape. His offseason workouts really made a difference. That does not mean he did not work hard. I just have no idea. You know how much I preached that an offseason worth of work can make a huge difference. I feel 75% of a players skills improvement can come from offseason work. I feel the other 20% comes in practice. I only feel around 5% comes from playing in actual games.
I'm probably as concerned as many people but I'm willing to give him a 40 game clean slate. If he gets the message and works his butt off in those 40 games than I will be happy and he will have my full support. The better Laf does the better we do. I still hold out hope.
Do you have an alibi for when this article was posted @will1066 ?Alexis Lafreniere’s preseason has been unfathomably bad — here’s what Rangers should do about it
There is no logical explanation for this.
I agree with this, but there is a flipside:
The best explanation is he's a read and react guy on a team full of other read and react guys so they all kinda glide around in their lane waiting for someone else to do something.
The last point, is the reason we wanted a coach with a system, which takes time to implement.
this sums it up
chatGPT pleaseI've been bantering with you and arguing with @IDvsEGO . There's no way I would've had the time to pen this (very well done) article hanging around here.
He's not afraid to try to make a play, in year 5, under coach 3, GM 2, etc. And he's still not proving immediately capable of making them--plays he could make with ease at 18. Kakko came in and was electric as an 18 year old in the preseason, specifically on PP1 on the flank. He has yet to play that position since the second month of his pro career. That's what we're pointing out, and it's the same story with Lafreniere, who it seems is less capable as a defensive forward, but likely a more capable finisher than Kakko at this point. The progress they have made, meager as it is, has been pretty consistently against the grain of circumstance and usage. Just look at Kakko's WC performance the last time he was there and this past year. He's stagnated here.
