F Alexis Lafreniere (2020, 1st, NYR) part 3

[Sweetpotato]

sorry if answered already but if you had to compare his style to a current NHLer, who might it be? style, not offensive upside.
thanks

he may not end up as good, but Crosby. His edge work, his grinder like play style and young 2 way game reminds me of later Crosby.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

Classic recency bias. Laine dominated the wjs just like Lafreniere while doing it as a year younger,
won playoff MVP in a men’s league and then went to the senior men’s championships against nhl stars and won the tournament MVP.

It’s perfectly fine to think Lafreniere is the better prospect but don’t act like he’s a clear cut better prospect then what laine was.

Except there's more to a draft season than just the international tournaments. Laine was always considered a great prospect, but his Liiga playoffs are what really drove the hype over the top. Lafreniere has been incredible all year in the QMJHL, as he has the past two seasons.

 

[Nabrules]

Except there's more to a draft season than just the international tournaments. Laine was always considered a great prospect, but his Liiga playoffs are what really drove the hype over the top. Lafreniere has been incredible all year in the QMJHL, as he has the past two seasons.

you just said it yourself, was great in his league play and playoffs too. Winning the mvp in the playoffs of a very good men’s league and then against NHL stars is more impressive than dominating the QMJHL, to me anyway.

Like I said it’s very reasonable to think Lafreniere is the better prospect during their draft years but Laine is definitely of the same level prospect wise.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

you just said it yourself, was great in his league play and playoffs too. Winning the mvp in the playoffs of a very good men’s league and then against NHL stars is more impressive than dominating the QMJHL, to me anyway.

Like I said it’s very reasonable to think Lafreniere is the better prospect during their draft years but Laine is definitely of the same level prospect wise.

Projection matters. Nathan Mackinnon never dominated the WJC at 17 like Laine did but the raw talent and projection of his talent makes him a better prospect then Laine was. It is a similar thing with Lafreniere.

 

[DJB]

I just watched a recent game where Lafreniere mostly played RW.

For those that watch him often, is that something that happens quite a bit?

Because the dual wing ability is extremely valuable for line combinations

 

[McNurse]

I just watched a recent game where Lafreniere mostly played RW.

For those that watch him often, is that something that happens quite a bit?

Because the dual wing ability is extremely valuable for line combinations

I haven’t watched him often at all, but he does seem to play both wings frequently

 

[SympathyForTheDevils]

I just watched a recent game where Lafreniere mostly played RW.

For those that watch him often, is that something that happens quite a bit?

Because the dual wing ability is extremely valuable for line combinations

Haven't watched him that much lately, but that may have to do with Rimouski's lack of depth at RW, and with him occasionally playing with Guay and Bolduc.

But there's no doubt in my mind he could play both wings at the NHL level.

 

[PuckProspects]

If you are as bored as I am here's a Lafreniere highlight video. He's decent.

 

[Breakers]

I hope what ever GM wins the lottery walks up to the Mic, doesnt say Rimouski or The QMJHL and mispronounces lafreniere's last name and mistakenly selects Alexis Laferriere out of the USHL the 90th ranked skater in this draft


And that kid walks up the stage and everyone is just speechless.

It would be the greatest draft story of all time.

 

[crowi]

This kid better deliver seeing how he already is called a superstar.

 

[Hfbsux]

This kid better deliver seeing how he already is called a superstar.

Isn't this the case for any 1st pick? You expect a superstar at #1.

 

[Toronto makebeleifs]

Probably going to get alot of disagreement due to shiny new toy syndrome that's prevalent on HF. I see laf as a 30-40 guy occasionally dancing with a ppg. Yes, he will be a very good player, but in the mold of Taylor Hall. Likely won't be a top 10 goal scorer, but a solid 30 goal guy isn't terrible.

 

[newfy]

Probably going to get alot of disagreement due to shiny new toy syndrome that's prevalent on HF. I see laf as a 30-40 guy occasionally dancing with a ppg. Yes, he will be a very good player, but in the mold of Taylor Hall. Likely won't be a top 10 goal scorer, but a solid 30 goal guy isn't terrible.

Hall is a very solid first overall pick. Hes not the homerun, absolute best first overall pick like a McDavid or Mackinnon but hes still very good. Hes got a hart trophy and multiple seasons above point per game, over his career he averages 74 points a season. Thats with him basically never playing on a good team.

If a team gets a Taylor Hall calibre player and can get him a center to play with theyll be very happy with Lafreniere at first overall.

 

[Fixxer]

he may not end up as good, but Crosby. His edge work, his grinder like play style and young 2 way game reminds me of later Crosby.

He reminds me more of Perry. Bigger than Crosby, a grinder playing with an edge and being a winger.

 

[Sweetpotato]

He reminds me more of Perry. Bigger than Crosby, a grinder playing with an edge and being a winger.

Reason I don't see Perry is he's significantly more talented and better skater as well as being more of a playmaker than a goal scorer.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Probably going to get alot of disagreement due to shiny new toy syndrome that's prevalent on HF. I see laf as a 30-40 guy occasionally dancing with a ppg. Yes, he will be a very good player, but in the mold of Taylor Hall. Likely won't be a top 10 goal scorer, but a solid 30 goal guy isn't terrible.

I agree. I doubt he’ll be the superstar that some think with the hype he’s received this season, but I think he’s a safe bet to be an elite NHL winger without being one of the superstars of the league.

 

[scoutman1]

I agree. I doubt he’ll be the superstar that some think with the hype he’s received this season, but I think he’s a safe bet to be an elite NHL winger without being one of the superstars of the league.

I still think Byfield has raw talent that could make him the better NHL player in the future...possible Byfield does not turn out to be better than Lafreniere but with his size and skill package I think he has a chance to turn out better.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

It depend what you called superstar.

McDavid ? Crosby ? Probably not.

Kane ? Ovechkin ? Panarin ? Kucherov ? Yes he can and it's not forbidden to think that they are superstars.

Nothing prevents him from thinking that he has the potential to be the best winger in NHL. Between McDavid (1997) and Wright (2004), he's the best prospect among canadian forwords.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

I still think Byfield has raw talent that could make him the better NHL player in the future...possible Byfield does not turn out to be better than Lafreniere but with his size and skill package I think he has a chance to turn out better.

Gradually, I rather built the opposite opinion.2 Years ago, he seemed to be the best player born in 2002. Since then, many have caught up to him or even doubled him. Currently, we are still at the hypothetical potential because he didn't show anything exceptionnal during all the major events in which he participated unlike the others elite prospects (Stutzle, Holtz, Raymond, Perfetti, Drysdale) who seem to have made more progress than him.

In my point of view, Lafrenière 2018/19 is better than Byfield 2019/20.

 

[tfong]

It depend what you called superstar.

McDavid ? Crosby ? Probably not.

Kane ? Ovechkin ? Panarin ? Kucherov ? Yes he can and it's not forbidden to think that they are superstars.

Nothing prevents him from thinking that he has the potential to be the best winger in NHL. Between McDavid (1997) and Wright (2004), he's the best prospect among canadian forwords.

How is Ovie in this second tier?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

It depend what you called superstar.

McDavid ? Crosby ? Probably not.

Kane ? Ovechkin ? Panarin ? Kucherov ? Yes he can and it's not forbidden to think that they are superstars.

Nothing prevents him from thinking that he has the potential to be the best winger in NHL. Between McDavid (1997) and Wright (2004), he's the best prospect among canadian forwords.

I think you can look at the Taylor Hall comparison before. I don't think thats a bad comparison from an accomplishments standpoint. Thats probably around the level of player Lafreniere will be. I would not say that Kane, Ovechkin, Panarin, Kucherov are in that same tier of player. I would say thats at least a tier above the level of player that Hall is.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

How is Ovie in this second tier?

In my point of view Ovechkin is overhyped by his goals but in terms of overall level he has never been a player like Crosby or McDavid. Lafrenière is a much more complete wingman than Ovechkin has ever been. Apart from shooting 8 times per game for 1 goal, Ovechkin doesn't offer much else on the ice. Neither the best russian, neither the best Capital's player. So you think Ovechkin is top 3, me I think Ovechkin isn't top 10. It's like that.

Taylor Hall ? He's the player who looks like him the most in terms of junior career but that doesn't mean that they will have the same career in NHL That said we talk about an MVP. Categorical predictions about 18 yo players are useless. At 18 to 20, Panarin wasn't drafted Kucherov was a late 2nd round. Nothing can prevent saying that Lafreniere can't be a player like them.

 

[tfong]

Ovechkin in his prime drove the play heavily. Given the impact of goal scoring to win games and his physical presence and pp proficiency, he's still a superstar imo so I disagree with your statement of what a superstar is.

A Hall tier comparison is fair to laffy I think.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

In his prime Backstrom was the playmaker. Ovechkin has always been an individualist puck-eating player. I just said that Ovechkin could be considered as superstar ("Kane ? Ovechkin ? Panarin ? Kucherov ? Yes he can and it's not forbidden to think that they are superstars). I'm just saying that Ovechkin isn't better than Panarin, Kucherov or Kane and that he never had McDavid and Crosby's level.

Lafrenière didn't even start to NHL. As already mentioned, it"s useless to say conclusively that Lafrenière will have the same level as Hall because their performances in CHL are similar. No one predicted that Draisaitl, Carlsson, Pastrnak or Panarin would become superstars. Nobody had planned the career of Brady, Jordan, Federer or Cristiano Ronaldo at 18.

Lafrenière may become better than Ovechkin or may become worse than Cole Perfetti. All experts repeat again and again that the draft isn't an exact science. In general, fans predict what they want to see.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

If you are as bored as I am here's a Lafreniere highlight video. He's decent.

He's got a really underrated wrist shot. It's an absolute laser.