News Article: Lafreniere, expected No. 1 pick in 2020 NHL Draft, to skip QMJHL season

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Needs can change in an instant in the league. Unless we get a stupidly good offer we couldn’t turn down, we’re staying at 1 and just taking Laf.

Well yeah, but I would be very open to hearing offers.

 

[Hire Sather]

How long have we waited for a player like this?

I really have no interest in any trade offers

 

[NYSPORTS]

You have so many options. Try someone on RW, maybe down the line move a contract with an asset if we’re competing. @Edge said it best when the internal discussions aren’t going to value position nearly as much as we have spoken about it.

right after the season ended and right now, those internal discussion recognize how a highly skilled Tampa team was ousted as easily last season as this young Rangers team was this season.

This roster is going to need balance.

 

[Polar Bear]

right after the season ended and right now, those internal discussion recognize how a highly skilled Tampa team was ousted as easily last season as this young Rangers team was this season.

This roster is going to need balance.

Any roster needs balance, and thankfully we have many avenues to achieve that that don't involve moving the pick. I will also not take this particular playoffs as gospel considering how long of a gap we had with playing games. Not that it discredits whoever wins, but these aren't exactly normal circumstances.

 

[Polar Bear]

Well yeah, but I would be very open to hearing offers.

I'm open to hearing any offer because doing otherwise would be foolish. But as JD said, it would really have to be something that knocked our shirts, pants, and socks off.

 

[LORDE]

You take Laf every day and 100 times Sunday...

THEN you figure out the rest.

We win a Ferrari and people wanna trade it in for parts to fix our Corvette

 

[Polar Bear]

You take Laf every day and 100 times Sunday...

THEN you figure out the rest.

We win a Ferrari and people wanna trade it in for parts to fix our Corvette

It's just a handful of people who are very much the minority. We had this exact same conversation last year when people wanted to move the pick for whatever stupid reasons.

 

[3rd Guy High]

I disagree. When you have other needs, you have to look at filling the other needs. So you’re just gonna have a $6.5mm 3rd liner? That’s incredibly silly. Unless Kreider plays RW we’re not in a very good spot with him right now.

So you trade Kreider, a 2nd and a mid level prospect for a 2c. Keep the 19 year old on an ELC. Problem solved.

 

[Polar Bear]

So you trade Kreider, a 2nd and a mid level prospect for a 2c. Keep the 19 year old on an ELC. Problem solved.

Wait, is that legal?

 

[eco's bones]

I call that a prickish factor.

We do not have enough of that on this team

Quite often the best player on a team is pretty cocky and sometimes a bit of a dick. You really almost want that though. When the best player(s) just wants to be 'one of the guys' that's usually not a good sign that the team is that good. Look at Sidney or Ovechkin--look at Patrick Kane--look at Eichel who is not happy in Buffalo. Panarin's not really a dick but he is a free spirit. He knows he's good. Mika knows he's good too.

 

[pld459666]

How long have we waited for a player like this?

I really have no interest in any trade offers

I'm interested in listening, because I think there are going to be some insane offers, but in reality, I'm not really interested in making a deal.

 

[aufheben]

For me it's not about the value of a center vs. the value of a winger in general, it's that we already have Panarin and Kreider as our LWs, and we're looking for a 2C. If we had traded Kreider, I'd say take Laf no question. We're already loaded with wingers. We finally have a bona fide 1C after so long thank god, but beyond that, there really isn't too much depth. How good can Fil be? Is Barron a serious prospect? Is Strome a long term solution or just a stopgap? Who else is in the pipeline that can be a really good top 6 C? Hopefully Mika extends with us long term and will be a ranger for the next decade or so as our 1C, but who's #2?

The Rangers have two major positions of concern: 2C and LD. LD is less of a concern due to our prospect pool and the possibility of maybe moving one of our RHDs to the left side. Miller may also be the top paring LD of the future, but that's still a humongous question mark at this point. Our bottom 6, more specifically our 3rd line is also an issue, but is far less of a concern due to how much easier it is to fill that position, even though that one difference maker piece may be hard to find, if that makes any sense.

In the salary cap world, how can we build a championship team that stays under the cap? Will we be able to fill the holes in our lineup or trade our pending FAs at the right time? Laf isn't fixing any of our issues. You're almost sure he'll be a damn good player, but he doesn't actually fix our issues. We already have our top 6 LWs set up. So do you keep Laf on the 3rd line? Or have Kreider be a $6.5mm 3rd liner? Or do you move Kreider to RW? Or maybe Laf switches positions?

It's a good problem to have, at the same time we still have a not good problem at hand in our C depth.

I don’t think people realize our LW depth is almost as poor as at C.

 

[Polar Bear]

I don’t think people realize our LW depth is almost as poor as at C.

View attachment 361366

Not to mention Chris can also always be moved to RW. Like Edge said, positions are not going to be discussed nearly as much internally as we are discussing it.

 

[Synergy27]

right after the season ended and right now, those internal discussion recognize how a highly skilled Tampa team was ousted as easily last season as this young Rangers team was this season.

This roster is going to need balance.

I fear that recency bias is going to play a role in what’s done with this pick. I hope my fear is misplaced and is just an artifact of the McIlrath debacle (which was a direct response to the Gabby mugging), but this team has a history of using high picks to address needs.

If Columbus, the Islanders (god forbid) or VGK win the Cup, you know that there will at least be discussions about how superstar laden, top heavy rosters aren’t the formula for winning in the playoffs (TB, EDM, TOR).

That would be just our luck too. Finally draft a top end talent in the league just in time for the by committee approach to come into vogue.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Kreider has been tried on the right before, he sucks at it.

Laf could probably do it and do it really well if need be.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I fear that recency bias is going to play a role in what’s done with this pick. I hope my fear is misplaced and is just an artifact of the McIlrath debacle (which was a direct response to the Gabby mugging), but this team has a history of using high picks to address needs.

If Columbus, the Islanders (god forbid) or VGK win the Cup, you know that there will at least be discussions about how superstar laden, top heavy rosters aren’t the formula for winning in the playoffs (TB, EDM, TOR).

That would be just our luck too. Finally draft a top end talent in the league just in time for the by committee approach to come into vogue.

Let your fears be quelled.

 

[McSauer]

Not to mention Chris can also always be moved to RW. Like Edge said, positions are not going to be discussed nearly as much internally as we are discussing it.

A position he [CK] has never played? What?

 

[NYSPORTS]

I fear that recency bias is going to play a role in what’s done with this pick. I hope my fear is misplaced and is just an artifact of the McIlrath debacle (which was a direct response to the Gabby mugging), but this team has a history of using high picks to address needs.

If Columbus, the Islanders (god forbid) or VGK win the Cup, you know that there will at least be discussions about how superstar laden, top heavy rosters aren’t the formula for winning in the playoffs (TB, EDM, TOR).

That would be just our luck too. Finally draft a top end talent in the league just in time for the by committee approach to come into vogue.

the Rangers are taking Laf. If any of the above teams win i think you could see Buch moved for a more physical player, maybe ADA moved and perhaps increase the odds on Holloway drafted with the second #1 pick. Laf though, he’s going to be a Ranger.

 

[NYSPORTS]

Let your fears be quelled.

thought he was going to mention Marc Staal would be back. My bad

 

[Polar Bear]

A position he [CK] has never played? What?

I'm pretty sure he has played on the right at some times, but even if my memory is wrong, you have nothing to lose by trying it out. Worst case scenario, he is our 2LW, until if/when Laf surpasses him.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

I fear that recency bias is going to play a role in what’s done with this pick. I hope my fear is misplaced and is just an artifact of the McIlrath debacle (which was a direct response to the Gabby mugging), but this team has a history of using high picks to address needs.

If Columbus, the Islanders (god forbid) or VGK win the Cup, you know that there will at least be discussions about how superstar laden, top heavy rosters aren’t the formula for winning in the playoffs (TB, EDM, TOR).

That would be just our luck too. Finally draft a top end talent in the league just in time for the by committee approach to come into vogue.

You are actively looking for a reason to be disappointed, because this is a massive reach.

 

[McSauer]

I'm pretty sure he has played on the right at some times, but even if my memory is wrong, you have nothing to lose by trying it out. Worst case scenario, he is our 2LW, until if/when Laf surpasses him.

Would hope that the goal is to run three complete lines, and when Laf does overtake him (may be sooner than later) CK slides down to the third. Our lack of depth is so apparent, hoping this can help us spread the wealth and have 3 scoring threat lines to come (hopefully with a competent 4th line, but we haven't seen that in about 6 years unfortunately,)

 

[Polar Bear]

Would hope that the goal is to run three complete lines, and when Laf does overtake him (may be sooner than later) CK slides down to the third. Our lack of depth is so apparent, hoping this can help us spread the wealth and have 3 scoring threat lines to come (hopefully with a competent 4th line, but we haven't seen that in about 6 years unfortunately,)

I mean, I am totally fine with Chris playing as LW3, and having three great lines. That's an option as well as moving him to the right. The point is that we have multiple avenues.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Not to mention Chris can also always be moved to RW. Like Edge said, positions are not going to be discussed nearly as much internally as we are discussing it.

Joe Micheletti said something similar about Lafreniere. And I am surprised it's not brought up more. Wingers these days don't stick to 1 side. Aside from where they line up for face offs, they just go where the open ice is.

Lafreniere has a lot of breakaways from the right side, Kravtsov and Kakko played both LW and RW on paper. I would not be surprised if we see Lafreniere with Panarin

 

[Polar Bear]

Joe Micheletti said something similar about Lafreniere. And I am surprised it's not brought up more. Wingers these days don't stick to 1 side. Aside from where they line up for face offs, they just go where the open ice is.

Lafreniere has a lot of breakaways from the right side, Kravtsov and Kakko played both LW and RW on paper. I would not be surprised if we see Lafreniere with Panarin

1000% Panarin moves all over the ice and pretty much leads as he does. Laf will do exactly the same eventually on line 2, and eventually line 1 when Panarain leaves or regresses down the line.