I'm sure his skating will improve, from him getting stronger if no other reason, but its not as bad as some like to say it is. It's good enough to play at this level.
Of course skating is important but it's not the end all be all, see also: Julian Gauthier.
Just something to take note of. It's interesting to see his play the last few games with the kid line. He won a lot of board battles. In part because he was almost never on an island. He could win a battle and chip to KK or Fil and they'd continue to cycle, drive to the net or kick out to the point. They were supporting each other very very well in the O zone. When this happens, all 3 guys look better. They all are becoming very good along the walls. In part because even if one gets beat, there always seems to be a 2nd one entering the picture to disrupt the outlet.
When all 3 forwards are playing the same way, the line just tends to work better.
Laffy has looked slow and unsure of himself for most of the season, as has Kravy at times, because our top veteran players are very mediocre, inconsistent at cycling. Even Zib and Kreider who should be dominant at cycling usually make a high risk, low percentage pass just as they're starting to cycle. It's like they dont' want to pay the price of cycling. They almost always pass themselves out of it and turn it over. And the guy with the puck in the corner is so unpredictable that it's very hard for the Laffy's of the world to know where to be to support the play.
Or when Panarin is out there, there's really no cycling below the hashmarks. It's basically everyone going to the boards all around the offensive zone and it's a lot of cut one way, cut back, rim the puck around to the opposite side, D pinches, keeps play alive, but it hardly ever turns into a dangerous play (FOR US). It's honestly one of the more annoying parts of watching the team play is just how inconsistent the vets are at cycling.
But all this to say, the top 6 vets, not just Panarin, are really hard to play with because they're often too clever by half in many situations where just simplifying would help the entire line be more effective. And as much as I get on Panarin for this, Kreider and Zib, who both have the size and ability to be dominant at this, refuse to utilize this strength. It makes no sense that a guy with Zibby's size scores the majority of his goals on the PP or off of rushes.
All this to say: a lot of what people think about Laffy's game. Or Kravy's. Or Kakko's game before them -- has a LOT to do with the veterans who are very very mediocre at creating offense 5v5. As GG has said, it leads to the kids deferring a lot. But it also leaves them in no man's land on the ice when they don't have the puck.
Laffy looks stronger and faster playing with Fil and Kakko right now for a reason. It's because he isn't having to second guess where he's going. Take for instance, that very subtle, very good play Laffy made on Fil's 2nd goal. Kakko's pass to Laffy was a slow, bloop of a pass in a highly contested part of the ice. Laffy, stopped, stood his ground, and then made a very nifty small pass right back to Kakko. It worked because Laffy knew where Kakko was going to be. It worked because Kakko was close enough to be an easy option. It was a very smart, highly skilled little play by Laffy. The kind of play that routinely leads to dangerous plays in Soccer. A smart one touch pass into space. But it's the kind of play that only works when players are on the same page. He pulls that move with MZ/CK or Bread, it likely just looks like a lazy, poor choice that leads to a turnover.
Sadly, the kids are going to have to develop each other.
And because Panarin can't play with Tro, it also like means Kravy has nowhere in the lineup to go. Ideally I'd put him up with CK/MZ. But then Panarin is back with Tro. I despise the fact that are most expensive players have little flexibility to move around the lineup or make the young players better. It's a fatal flaw.
