F Alexis Lafreniere (2020, 1st, NYR) part 4

[EdJovanovski]

Laf lead all players in last nights game vs the Isles with FIVE hits
And 2 takeaways

 

[Mats26]

On every team, almost every game he was the goto guy, best player on the ice. Not so much with the Rags. It's a mental challenge for him more that ability.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

For what it's worth, by my rough math, the second unit gets 36.48 seconds of PP time per 2 minute PP.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

The powerplay isn't working, he should get a look over someone like Buchnveich/Strome on the 1st unit if it continues

Only thing I disagree about is Kakko should be the player swapped onto the first unit when a change is made. We gotta develop both of these kids, and Kakko's the one playing better between the two. He's earned it more.

 

[Waterbuf]

He's like a Chris Higgins with less scoring right now.

 

[The Sweetness]

I had not seen one single person ever say he was expected to be PPG or even anywhere close to that. Please explain.

I didn't see many people thinking he'd be ppg but I do feel the consensus was around a 60 ppg pace over a normal season. So while I don't think ppg is an accurate representation of expectations I do feel that the main gist of the post was fairly accurate.

 

[Odie Cleghorn]

The powerplay isn't working, he should get a look over someone like Buchnveich/Strome on the 1st unit if it continues

Strome is worthless. He should not be on the PP at all.

 

[Calad]

The powerplay isn't working, he should get a look over someone like Buchnveich/Strome on the 1st unit if it continues

What has Laf done to earn top PP minutes? I think Buch is rightfully on the 1st unit, hes been our best forward so far this season. If anyone should be getting promoted to the top unit it would be Kakko, he's been phenomenal recently.

The reason the powerplay isn't working is Zibanejad is still shaking off covid cobb webs. He was lethal with that one timer from the half wall all of last season, he's been struggling.

Strome is worthless. |He should not be on the PP at all.

The only place he should be is on the moon

 

[nbwingsfan]

I didn't see many people thinking he'd be ppg but I do feel the consensus was around a 60 ppg pace over a normal season. So while I don't think ppg is an accurate representation of expectations I do feel that the main gist of the post was fairly accurate.

Theres a pretty big difference between expecting an 82pt pro rated season and a ~55pt pro-rated season

 

[peconcan]

Any chance he gets sent down to the AHL for a few games to try and get his confidence up

 

[1909]

The whole team is doing bad, really struggling. The kid should play at a lower level right now. AHL ? His former junior team ? Before season's start, he had not played competitive hockey for 10 whole months.

 

[Reddwit]

He's like a Chris Higgins with less scoring right now.

Well Habs fans once told me that Chris Higgins was “Montreal’s Zetterberg” so that’s really just a compliment to Laf.

 

[Favin]

Any chance he gets sent down to the AHL for a few games to try and get his confidence up

Getting sent down may be more damaging to confidence. NYR should ride it out. He'll be fine.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

The whole team is doing bad, really struggling. The kid should play at a lower level right now. AHL ? His former junior team ? Before season's start, he had not played competitive hockey for 10 whole months.

The team isn’t doing that bad. Defense looks good, aside from the lack of a third pair. That’s partly caused by the DeAngelo incident, but other than that the defense has been a positive, especially since JJ has (unfortunately) missed time with an injury. Much better defense so far than last season. Goaltending started a little slow, but has been much better recently. The team struggles is mostly just a few of the forwards. Zibanejad and Lafreniere are the two big disappointments. Kreider isn’t playing that good either. We have a -1 GD, and have been in every game played so far this season. If Zibanejad picks it up and we can get a little more stability from the third pair, we can absolutely make the playoffs.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

+
The sad thing is there are many stupid buffoons on this forum that expected more from a teenager 11 games into his rookie season. That’s who I feel sorry for. The fact that there are morons on this planet that are attempting to label this kid as this or that after 11 games.

The expectations that are laid onto a #1 pick are based on the past #1 picks and their success. That's why people expect a lot. Also doesn't help when boards like these and so called specialists call him ready for the big leagues.

To be clear, I think Laf will be just fine, but there's a very good reason why people have high expectations for anyone who's picked #1 or even #2. And that means high expectations for their D+1 year. Teenagers or not. Same happened with Kaapo.

 

[Favin]

The team isn’t doing that bad. Defense looks good, aside from the lack of a third pair. That’s partly caused by the DeAngelo incident, but other than that the defense has been a positive, especially since JJ has (unfortunately) missed time with an injury. Much better defense so far than last season. Goaltending started a little slow, but has been much better recently. The team struggles is mostly just a few of the forwards. Zibanejad and Lafreniere are the two big disappointments. Kreider isn’t playing that good either. We have a -1 GD, and have been in every game played so far this season. If Zibanejad picks it up and we can get a little more stability from the third pair, we can absolutely make the playoffs.

They have played a total of 1 game against Bruins, Flyers and Capitals. But face them in 11-of-next-12 games. Now would be a good time to pick it up.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He had probably his best offensive game of the season tonight. He made two real quality passes that should’ve resulted in goals. Rask stopped the shots, and pretty much everything, so more bad luck.

He’s not been as good as expected, but it’s plain bad luck he doesn’t have about five points right now.

 

[TopChedder]

He had probably his best offensive game of the season tonight. He made two real quality passes that should’ve resulted in goals. Rask stopped the shots, and pretty much everything, so more bad luck.

He’s not been as good as expected, but it’s plain bad luck he doesn’t have about five points right now.

I am not saying I don't believe in the kid, because I do. But the hype he had was huge and he doesn't look like some dynamo at all out there. It's not like this is just a couple of game in.

He needs to be better.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

He had probably his best offensive game of the season tonight. He made two real quality passes that should’ve resulted in goals. Rask stopped the shots, and pretty much everything, so more bad luck.

He’s not been as good as expected, but it’s plain bad luck he doesn’t have about five points right now.

No offence to your ability how to see/know/understand the game or what ever but...that is not true.

Outside those 2 quality passes, as you put it, he had zero shots on goal, 2 giveaways,
didn't play well offensively, when you look at his whole game and not just two plays.

 

[ijuka]

They should have done what was done with Mikko Rantanen, sent down after he went 0-0 in 9 games and then he came back to score 38 points in the next season in NHL, and 84 the season after.

 

[The Greatest 101]

Why is he still playing in the NHL? He’s not ready, obviously.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

No offence to your ability how to see/know/understand the game or what ever but...that is not true.

Outside those 2 quality passes, as you put it, he had zero shots on goal, 2 giveaways,
didn't play well offensively, when you look at his whole game and not just two plays.

Did you watch the game?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Why is he still playing in the NHL? He’s not ready, obviously.

This isn’t true, at all. He’s absolutely no worse than 3-4 forwards at the bottom end of the roster, and there’s no part of his game that is a clear weakness that there was for Kakko or Hughes last season.

What better options are there? He’s dominated the Q for years, and can’t play in the NHL. He belongs in the NHL. And I said the opposite last season about Kakko.

There’s a point to be made that he’s not living up to expectations. I absolutely agree, and I don’t cover for him on that. However, he’s been brutally unlucky. One of the most unlucky forwards in the league right now statistically with his on ice SH%. If he had better luck he’d have about five points right now and all these people chiming in probably wouldn’t care to chime in. That he only has 1 point (pure bad luck and not a proper representation of his play) has people wanting to give their say that wouldn’t ordinarily care if his point totals were mediocre for the expectations, but not terribly unexpected, as opposed to really bad.

 

[NuxFan09]

It's absurd that people have a problem with the criticism (though I get being annoyed in general by the piling on, that's never run for a fanbase). We're talking about the 1st overall pick here, and not a Hischier/Erik Johnson/Nugent-Hopkins type 1st overall. More like a tier below Crosby and McDavid. This is a kid who everyone knew was the face of the 2020 Draft years before.

The "he's a rookie playing in the NHL as an 18/19 year old, cut him some slack" argument is for lesser, non bluechip prospects. Or for any prospect who is doing okay, not great. You all know this is another story entirely and legitimately worth critiquing. This is highly unusual for a prospect of Lafreniere's stature, no ifs ands or buts about it.

The other thing is I don't think anyone is saying he sucks or isn't the real deal. If anything most people are legitimately puzzled and looking for an explanation other than "he's a rookie, the points will come". All people want to do is discuss it without being accused of undermining him. It's the opposite; I believe most people, myself included, are inclined to attribute a very specific reason for his start to his career, whatever that reason may be. I repeat, I don't think anyone believes for a second he's not the real deal.

I guess I can only speak for myself though.

 

[Albatros]

They should have done what was done with Mikko Rantanen, sent down after he went 0-0 in 9 games and then he came back to score 38 points in the next season in NHL, and 84 the season after.

Rantanen was a European prospect.