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

[SnowblindNYR]

Let your fears be quelled.

Listening to JD is like listening to your grandfather tell war stories.

 

[NYSPORTS]

lol, it doesn’t get old.

 

[Chytilmania]

Over/Under 81.5 games Sam Rosen points out he's only 18 years old.

 

[NYSPORTS]

Over/Under 81.5 games Sam Rosen points out he's only 18 years old.

over (although i think he’a 19 come Oct)

 

[Tawnos]

Over/Under 81.5 games Sam Rosen points out he's only 18 years old.

Under. The Rangers will be on NBC or NBCSN at least a dozen times.

 

[Do you want ants]

Under. The Rangers will be on NBC or NBCSN at least a dozen times.

Way under. He’ll be 19 at the start of the new season.

 

[Chytilmania]

Jesus guys, you get the point...

 

[aufheben]

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

Lafreniere’s backhand pass is filthy so it would not surprise me if he played RW either.

 

[Edge]

I don't know if the Q gets quite as much credit as it deserves for upping its game these last few years.

Kind of like the US program, I would not be the least bit surprised if they become the "it" league in Canada over the next few drafts.

 

[Rangers394]

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.

This is the last thing i would worry about. It has no effect on us at all

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

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.

I don't have faith that CK being here will mean much in another season or two. It'll prob be a significant negative.

That point would be much more solid (to me) if it was maybe Ck 2 years younger.

I'm still beyond concerned, knowing our cap situation, that they kept CK for that many years with that much money dedicated to him. It's hard to believe we couldn't get at least a 1st while saving 6.5 mil. I just hope they were right and he doesn't lose a step for another 4 or 5 years

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

That was my thinking as well. Hopefully not another case of “I can make it off talent alone.”

That’s just looking way too deeply into it. He’s going to be the first overall pick, heralded as the best prospect since McDavid. Why would he NOT make the team?

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

I think Mark Messier should call him and tell him if he wants to win a Stanley Cup In NY he needs to learn to play center and dominate from the middle like Mess did when he was a kid.

Too good too much vision and strength to play the wing because you don’t like to defend. Puck should be on his stick as much as possible. Maybe his skating used to hold him back or his consistency. Those aren’t weaknesses anymore. Make the switch

I hope to God you aren’t serious.

 

[Harbour Dog]

I am absolutely ecstatic that Alf is going to be wearing a blueshirt next year. But this thread is stressful as f*** to read.

 

[NYblades]

The NY Post writers must be following this board.

But unless the Blueshirts are overwhelmed by a trade offer that objectively makes no sense on the other side — specifically, such as the Senators offering 20-year-old center Brady Tkachuk and the third-overall pick in exchange for the Quebecer who was born and raised approximately 100 miles from Ottawa — then this is as slam dunk of a personnel decision as it gets.

https://nypost.com/2020/08/15/alexis-lafreniere-draws-rave-reviews-as-likely-rangers-pick/

 

[Polar Bear]

The NY Post writers must be following this board.



https://nypost.com/2020/08/15/alexis-lafreniere-draws-rave-reviews-as-likely-rangers-pick/

I mean, to be fair, it doesn’t take a genius to figure this out. A small handful of people on the general forum might make you think otherwise at times though. lol

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

With some posters...If hockey thoughts were children I'd have to channel Full Metal jacket and ask "Did you have any that lived?"

 

[RangersFan1994]

https://nypost.com/2020/08/15/alexis-lafreniere-draws-rave-reviews-as-likely-rangers-pick/

 

[mas0764]

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

View attachment 361366

Our forward depth in general is a disaster, but center probably worst of all.

Thats why people who act like we need to be aiming to compete in the next two years are a little nutty.

Make the playoffs? Yes. Unavoidable.

But be a legit contender? With all these kids and paper thin depth? No way.

 

[mas0764]

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.

Yes, that’s exactly what you are gonna have. Hockey is more like basketball than it is football. One star player tilts the game so much in one direction that having a star outweighs filling your needs (frankly it’s even like this in football, just not as much).

Having a star is the most important thing, period, end of discussion. Lafreniere projects to be that way more than Byfield or Stutzle.

You’ll fill holes elsewhere, including moving Kreider if he becomes unaffordable as a $6m third liner.

 

[mas0764]

I’m not saying pass on Laf. I’m saying take the big trade if it’s offered. If you don’t get the good trade, then keep Laf, but if there’s a big offer from someone like Ottawa involving picks 3 and 5, strongly consider it.

There comes a point when the value offered is too good to beat, but for a guy like Lafreniere, like Tom Brady in his prime, there almost is no package that could equal his value.

For Lafreniere you have to start with 3 and 5. What else?

If they throw in Tkachuk... now maybe we are getting somewhere.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

I don't know if the Q gets quite as much credit as it deserves for upping its game these last few years.

Kind of like the US program, I would not be the least bit surprised if they become the "it" league in Canada over the next few drafts.

Very true, and I still think it carries a reputation as a high-scoring, no defense league.

 

[bl02]

https://nypost.com/2020/08/15/alexis-lafreniere-draws-rave-reviews-as-likely-rangers-pick/

Some real positive statements made by Patrick Roy about Lafreniere. A guy that doesn't strike me as one who would mince words and BS.

 

[Edge]

Very true, and I still think it carries a reputation as a high-scoring, no defense league.

To an extent it does, but they’ve really focused on their training and feeder systems. I think they’re doing a better job than they have in a long time at focusing on developing players to become well-rounded, multi-faceted NHL contributors.

 

[NYSPORTS]

There comes a point when the value offered is too good to beat, but for a guy like Lafreniere, like Tom Brady in his prime, there almost is no package that could equal his value.

For Lafreniere you have to start with 3 and 5. What else?

If they throw in Tkachuk... now maybe we are getting somewhere.

is the #3 a guarantee or a risk? I think the #3 will be good. The #5? I have no idea and that’s a concern.

Go with the #1 who carries the least risk and most upside IMO.