F Alexis Lafreniere - Rimouski Oceanic, QMJHL (2020 Draft) Part 2

[Tutu to]

Connor also was only 17 at the tournament and destroyed the OHL at such an absurd level. No one has scored at the rate Connor did in the OHL at 17 since like Lindros. Lafreniere while a better player, has scoring in line with someone like Drouin when you look at 17 to 17, 18 to 18. Drouin had better teammates (MacKinnon at 17 and Ehlers at 18). But, what McDavid scoring at 2.5 points per game in the OHL is only in line with what Patrick Kane did at 18. That's before we get into the blatently obvious. McDavid can play at a speed almost unseen before. The fact his hands and head can keep up with his speed is just astonishing.

Connor was 3 months younger then Lafrenière was in 2015.

 

[93LEAFS]

Connor was 3 months younger then Lafrenière was in 2015.

You almost always compare CHL players by their age group given IIHF groupings and draft years. Either way, McDavid's 17-year-old scoring in the OHL blows Lafreniere's 18-year-old scoring out the water even before you factor in league equivalencies.

 

[Divine]

70 points in 32 games?

Everyone fumbles a post or two. Just try and bounce back next time.

Marner had 126 points in 63 games in his draft year too and went 4th overall. Let's see how much Lafreniere finishes with.

Dylan Strome had 111 points in 56 games in his draft year and went 3rd overall.

Jonathon Drouin had 105 points in 49 games and went 3rd overall.

For reference, McDavid had 120 points in 47 games. Crosby had 168 points in 62 games. Patrick Kane had 145 points in 58 games.

Dominating in junior holds a different numeric standard than the NHL. People don't put down 2PPG in the NHL, but consistently do it in junior. Also, sample size. Lafreniere would have to finish with 2.5X PPG over the rest of the year to have dominated junior.

It also depends on what you mean by dominate I guess. I don't consider something that happens every year by multiple players to be dominant.

 

[Divine]

Guys, watch Lafreniere play in juniors and not just a stacked Canada team.

No analyst has him above McDavid/Matthews/Eichel for a reason.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Guys, watch Lafreniere play in juniors and not just a stacked Canada team.

No analyst has him above McDavid/Matthews/Eichel for a reason.

He has 70 points and you said he wasn't dominating the Q. Just take a lap.

 

[Divine]

He has 70 points and you said he wasn't dominating the Q. Just take a lap.

Do you consider something that happens every year to be dominant? If so, then he is. To me, dominant means it doesn't happen often.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

What I’ve learned is leafs fans are getting salty of the accusation people have him over Mathews as prospects

 

[Divine]

What I’ve learned is leafs fans are getting salty of the accusation people have him over Mathews as prospects

I don't think they should. People said the same about Jack Hughes. It's just people who don't watch rating every #1OA as the next great prospect that the knowledgeable fans are disputing.

 

[BondraTime]

Do you consider something that happens every year to be dominant? If so, then he is. To me, dominant means it doesn't happen often.

The only guys with a higher point per game than Lafreniere is posting this year in the past 15 seasons are Crosby and Drouin.

What he’s doing this year doesn’t happen often.

 

[TimeZone]

To me he is on McDavid/Eichel level as a prospect. He's absolutely fantastic but clearly a tier below McDavid.

 

[Divine]

The only guys with a higher point per game than Lafreniere is posting this year in the past 15 seasons are Crosby and Drouin.

What he’s doing this year doesn’t happen often.

It's sample size though. He's played fewer games than every player. If he keeps this up towards the end of the season, then yes, he dominated. Most players drop off, including McDavid who had like 49 points in his first 13 games in the OHL in his draft year.

If you look at a players first 32 games in his draft year, there should be a lot more players with higher PPG.

 

[izzy]

Do you consider something that happens every year to be dominant? If so, then he is. To me, dominant means it doesn't happen often.

I don't think they should. People said the same about Jack Hughes. It's just people who don't watch rating every #1OA as the next great prospect that the knowledgeable fans are disputing.

this doesnt happen often at all, dont refer to yourself as knowledgable after saying something so ridiculous

 

[Divine]

this doesnt happen often at all, dont refer to yourself as knowledgable after saying something so ridiculous

Putting up 2PPG in junior happens often. I think his PPG drops also. He's missed games also. If he scores 130 or 140 in 55 games, then yes he did. If he scores 110 or less, then he's a top prospect but not the highest tier like people are claiming.

Puljujarvi dominated the WJC too and went 4th overall. It's about balancing the sample size.

 

[BondraTime]

It's sample size though. He's played fewer games than every player. If he keeps this up towards the end of the season, then yes, he dominated. Most players drop off, including McDavid who had like 49 points in his first 13 games in the OHL in his draft year.

If you look at a players first 32 games in his draft year, there should be a lot more players with higher PPG.

No, there really isn’t.

You’re more than welcome to show us though, seeing you’re the one making the claim.

 

[Divine]

No, there really isn’t.

You’re more than welcome to show us though, seeing you’re the one making the claim.

How about we wait until the end of the season, or even next season and see if he performs better than Eichel/McDavid/Matthews.

Had literally this exact same argument with Jack Hughes dominating Matthews juniors records somehow last year (albeit ignoring the fact Matthews was in NLA because he was 2 weeks too young - much like Lafreniere), it's getting repetitive. I hope he does great, but no scout has him in the tier the casual fan does.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

What I’ve learned is leafs fans are getting salty of the accusation people have him over Mathews as prospects

I am a Leaf fan...Yay generalizations!

 

[Orange Fanta]

I don't think they should. People said the same about Jack Hughes. It's just people who don't watch rating every #1OA as the next great prospect that the knowledgeable fans are disputing.

I think he can make a case to be as good as matthews, yes auston played in a men's league and went over ppg but lafreniere i feel is more dynamic and raw but doubt he matches his goal scoring ability. He does however show great potential for goal scoring because of how smart and creative he is. I personally have him as a prospect in the tier of franchise changing talent.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

It's sample size though. He's played fewer games than every player. If he keeps this up towards the end of the season, then yes, he dominated. Most players drop off, including McDavid who had like 49 points in his first 13 games in the OHL in his draft year.

If you look at a players first 32 games in his draft year, there should be a lot more players with higher PPG.

So he is dominating but hasn't dominated the league until he dominates it all year long? Or for a second straight year. That is some weird ass logic and goal post moving. He is dominating and has dominated that league until he quite frankly proves that he isn't.

 

[Divine]

I think he can make a case to be as good as matthews, yes auston played in a men's league and went over ppg but lafreniere i feel is more dynamic and raw but doubt he matches his goal scoring ability. He does however show great potential for goal scoring because of how smart and creative he is. I personally have him as a prospect in the tier of franchise changing talent.

What is franchise-changing talent? I think most first overalls are in that tier.

 

[Divine]

So he is dominating but hasn't dominated the league until he dominates it all year long? Or for a second straight year. That is some weird ass logic and goal post moving. He is dominating and has dominated that league until he quite frankly proves that he isn't.

I guess, but I don't think Drouin dominated the Q either. Maybe you do.

 

[BondraTime]

I guess, but I don't think Drouin dominated the Q either. Maybe you do.

Drouin absolutely dominated the Q. If you don’t think that, you don’t know what you’re talking about. That’s quantifiable wrong.

What Drouin is now has absolutely nothing to do with what he was as a junior.

 

[Divine]

No, there really isn’t.

You’re more than welcome to show us though, seeing you’re the one making the claim.

Drouin absolutely dominated the Q. If you don’t think that, you don’t know what you’re talking about. That’s quantifiable wrong.

What Drouin is now has absolutely nothing to do with what he was as a junior.

This is semantics then. To me, to dominate it has to be something extraordinary. Like when I think of dominant junior players I think of Lemieux, Kane, Crosby, Tavares (goals), McDavid. They were consensus, undisputable top picks before their draft year started. I don't see Lafreniere as that same level.

 

[Wintersun]

Another thing to consider is that Lafreniere is pretty much alone on his team compared to McDavid who had Debrincat and Strome who are both great NHL forwards. Drouin was a pair with MacKinnon who is a Hart level forward when he did it. Mitch Marner was playing with 19 year old Domi and good NHLer Dvorak in his great draft season.

Lafreniere plays with a couple of late round picks who never put a point per game in the Q before this season.

I wouldn't take Lafreniere ahead of Eichel or Matthews in a draft, but other than them and McDavid, there is no one as good as Lafreniere in the last years.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I guess, but I don't think Drouin dominated the Q either. Maybe you do.

Drouin literally ran a train over the entire league for like 2 years lol

 

[Orange Fanta]

What is franchise-changing talent? I think most first overalls are in that tier.

Above a hall/hischier/hughes someone who is considered can't miss like stamkos/mack/tavares/matthews