Seravalli: Lafreniere and Rangers working 8-year deal worth more than $8 million AAV

[SnowblindNYR]

They both deserve their money.

Those who complain about Igor are ungrateful, but Lafreniere has probably been our second or third best forward since the start of last year, including the playoffs. But he doesn’t get PP1 time because that unit works and is never changed. It deflates his point totals. Lafreniere had 57 last year and nearly all of it was even strength.


That was the best hockey of the stretch, but he’s been playing great since the start of last year. That wasn’t anything far above the other games.

I know I shit on Igor a lot but even if you think he's elite and the best goalie in the league why is it some crazy take that your asset allocation shouldn't be so slanted towards a goalie? If your goalie is your best player your team isn't good enough to win the cup.

Draft position really means nothing when they reach the NHL.

After one season sure you can say he’s adjusting, but when he keeps letting down in pretty much every aspect, no the “he’s about to breakout”, “watch the games”, “advanced stats” etc start to just be blind homerism

I mean it took Laf quite a bit of time too. Lots of players are late bloomers. And yeah at some point draft position means little but all things being equal especially early in his career it's definitely a data point. There's a reason someone gets drafted high.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I know I shit on Igor a lot but even if you think he's elite and the best player in the league why is it some crazy take that your asset allocation shouldn't be so slanted towards a goalie? If your goalie is your best player your team isn't good enough to win the cup.

Would I prefer to have McDavid or MacKinnon over Igor? Probably. I don’t disagree with the idea that you’d rather have that elite 1C than goaltender, but you’re dealt the hand you are. Teams can win the Cup with an elite goaltender. They can also not win the Cup with an elite center. The best players in the league are very hard to acquire. When you have one, you don’t just decide they aren’t a good fit for your mix. You don’t haggle with them over money. You haggle with members 4-20 of your team over money.

If you can’t make it work with them, you need to rebuild. There is no plausible scenario where the Rangers ditch Igor after this season and we are a Cup Contender. If it happens, we need to start rebuilding and deciding who can be part of a Cup Contender in 5+ years, which means everyone older than Fox (at the least, and maybe him too) needs to go.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Would I prefer to have McDavid or MacKinnon over Igor? Probably. I don’t disagree with the idea that you’d rather have that elite 1C than goaltender, but you’re dealt the hand you are. Teams can win the Cup with an elite goaltender. They can also not win the Cup with an elite center. The best players in the league are very hard to acquire. When you have one, you don’t just decide they aren’t a good fit for your mix. You don’t haggle with them over money. You haggle with members 4-20 of your team over money.

If you can’t make it work with them, you need to rebuild. There is no plausible scenario where the Rangers ditch Igor after this season and we are a Cup Contender. If it happens, we need to start rebuilding and deciding who can be part of a Cup Contender in 5+ years, which means everyone older than Fox (at the least, and maybe him too) needs to go.

I'd love to see what was the last that team won the cup with a goalie as their best player though. Devils in 2003?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I'd love to see what was the last that team won the cup with a goalie as their best player though. Devils in 2003?

Is Igor our best player? If we say Fox is the best player, does that change the equation?

And even if Igor is paid higher than Fox next year, Fox would become highest paid whenever his salary is up.

Seems like this whole "can't have a goalie as your best player or highest paid" is a silly storyline.

 

[Sun God Nika]

laf will be anywhere from a 60-90pt winger with a rising cap ceiling there is very little risk in this for the rangers. He definitely is not worth it today

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Is Igor our best player? If we say Fox is the best player, does that change the equation?

And even if Igor is paid higher than Fox next year, Fox would become highest paid whenever his salary is up.

Seems like this whole "can't have a goalie as your best player or highest paid" is a silly storyline.

Fox signed his contract not that long ago. And Igor clearly thinks he's the best player as he wants the highest salary specifically. I think with Igor as a 12 million dollar player, this good but flawed team that most people think has its ceiling as an ECF team losing in 6 is the best he's going get unless Perrault in a few years ends up being another Panarin but good in the playoffs. Our roster will have more holes than Toronto's with Igor getting paid that much money. I also don't think he's clearly the best goalie in the league. The last two seasons he needed to go on an epic run just to finish the season with an above average save %. And I'm sorry despite us leaving him to dry he gave up too many shitty goals in the ECF last year. He's not really all that much better than Swayman. I know I get hysterical about him, he's not a scrub but he's not a guy that's head and shoulders better than other goalies making 8 mill.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Fox signed his contract not that long ago. And Igor clearly thinks he's the best player as he wants the highest salary specifically. I think with Igor as a 12 million dollar player, this good but flawed team that most people think has its ceiling as an ECF team losing in 6 is the best he's going get unless Perrault in a few years ends up being another Panarin but good in the playoffs. Our roster will have more holes than Toronto's with Igor getting paid that much money. I also don't think he's clearly the best goalie in the league. The last two seasons he needed to go on an epic run just to finish the season with an above average save %. And I'm sorry despite us leaving him to dry he gave up too many shitty goals in the ECF last year. He's not really all that much better than Swayman. I know I get hysterical about him, he's not a scrub but he's not a guy that's head and shoulders better than other goalies making 8 mill.

Swayman was an RFA. Swayman would get 10 if he was a UFA.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Swayman was an RFA. Swayman would get 10 if he was a UFA.

So should Igor. 10 million and I wouldn't complain. Igor is not 2 million dollars better than Swayman.