Should Alexis Lafreniere Go to WJC?
- Thread starter EdJovanovski
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Apocalypse Dude
"Value"
It is but what isn't weird is a 1st overall pick not playing in the WJC after signing his ELC.
Canadians crying about this is ridiculous. They really are the All Blacks of hockey
Why is it ridiculous? We want to see last years MVP rip it up again. I do get why the Rangers don't want him to go though
FireGerardGallant
The Artist Formerly known as FireDavidQuinn
- Mar 19, 2016
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Are we going to have to deal with this speculation for the next 15 years if Laf is going to play in Montreal or not?
Thirty One
Safe is safe.
- Dec 28, 2003
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East Coast Bias
Registered User
This is an easy no. Come on.
he would be gone from mid December to mid Jan? Probably having to quarantine (despite coming from a bubble) before joining the Rangers upon return. Him going means risking missing preseason and the start of the season. Sure maybe the league steps on their own dick and can't even get players into camp till mid Jan, but they're not going to have their franchise player off to Edmonton into a bubble with a good chance he's missing his first team activities as a pro.
he would be gone from mid December to mid Jan? Probably having to quarantine (despite coming from a bubble) before joining the Rangers upon return. Him going means risking missing preseason and the start of the season. Sure maybe the league steps on their own dick and can't even get players into camp till mid Jan, but they're not going to have their franchise player off to Edmonton into a bubble with a good chance he's missing his first team activities as a pro.
i couldn't care less about what canadian fans think and haven't seen or read any of those comments. my interest is 100% about the rangers and the development/future of lafreniere and kakko and whether its better for them to play vs sit IF the nhl isn't starting. if canada never medals again i won't lose any sleep over it lol
nsvoyageurs
Registered User
I think it's better for Lafreniere to stay with the Rangers and not go to the WJHC. There's no guarantee that tournament happens; if it does, no guarantee it ends with a team being handed medals. Team Canada is in latter stages of a 2 week quarantine; Finland shut down its operations. The COVID19 numbers in Alberta is at record numbers.
He's training with the Rangers, so he's not losing much. He's got nothing left to prove at the Junior hockey level. He could go there and dominate again, but what would that prove? Time to get ready for the pro game, whenever that begins.
He's training with the Rangers, so he's not losing much. He's got nothing left to prove at the Junior hockey level. He could go there and dominate again, but what would that prove? Time to get ready for the pro game, whenever that begins.
the bottom line is that there's no point in risking injury or illness for a short tournament that's not going to help him prepare for the NHL
you gotta think the Rangers are envisioning that knee injury he got last year but this time it's more serious...
you gotta think the Rangers are envisioning that knee injury he got last year but this time it's more serious...
Harbour Dog
Registered User
Ah, don't mind him.
If the Tillburg Trappers hadn't allowed Wouter Sars to play for the Netherlands last year in the Division 2, Group B tournament, he would have been crying about it on here too
KirkAlbuquerque
#WeNeverGetAGoodCoach
no but Kakko should go. If he struggles there then we know we have a real bust on our hands.
Ratelleitlikeitis
Registered User
As a Canadian I'm not losing sleep about medals either. I'm glad Laf will be in camp working on the next stage of his hockey career.
AB13
Registered User
- Apr 29, 2019
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Obviously, I am disgusted that we haven't released him. Playing in the WJC is obviously a dream that he wants to experience again. The NHL isn't that much more important, the top rookies should be released mid season every year, I don't see why they aren't.
Thirty One
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Irishguy42
Mr. Preachy
Yeah so disgusting that the kid who has nothing left to prove at that level is not going back just to wet the appetite of some fans. What a travesty.
Cry me a river.
AB13
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Why not have the best players at the WJC for the fans and players to enjoy? It is meaningless not to let him go and a bad way to promote the sport. Hughes and Kakko should have missed a few NHL games to go play last year too there is absolutely no reason not to let them.
Not to mention, it is not ideal for his development to miss out on meaningful games.
Amazing Kreiderman
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Machinehead
HFNYR MVP
Shesterkybomb
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The other side of this is he had 2 runs with Canada, maybe he felt others deserved a shot at it. I don't think the Rangers stopped him but took the heat for it, personally i think Laf wanted to stay focused on ny but didn't want to turn down Canada and so they did it this way. As much as he would improve their roster i don't think they seriously need him either, this is gonna be a really fun tournament, most teams look good.
Thirty One
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We're probably looking at a 48-56 game season. Probably a short training camp and a 1-2 game preseason, little practice time because of the compacted season. Making the playoffs seems like an uphill battle. I just think extending the season for him (assuming it doesn't interfere with training camp) seemed like a good idea.
Amazing Kreiderman
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Also, people seriously exaggerate the importance and value of a World Juniors tournament. It's fun to watch, sure. It's probably among my favourite hockey tournaments to follow each year, but it's just a junior tournament.
Lafreniere is under contract in the NHL, preparing for a new season. Canadians expecting him to join their team despite this aren't seeing the big picture. As long as there is an NHL season in the cards, top prospects won't be released to play in a junior tournament if their teams consider them roster players.
Nobody is complaining about Hughes not going last year or Matthews in 2016 or Dahlin in 2018 or Stamkos, Kane, Crosby, Kovalchuk, Hall or MacKinnon the year they were drafted. But somehow the Rangers are a bad organization now for not releasing their 1st overall pick to play in the WJC.
And why are people assuming Lafreniere even wants to go?
Thirty One
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I certainly don't think the Rangers are a bad organization for not letting Lafreniere play, but you must see the difference his situation and those players you listed.
TominNC
Registered User
Amazing Kreiderman
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Sure but it isn't as if this is a lockout year like 2012-13 (Yakupov) or 2004-05 (Ovechkin). Daigle played in his D+2 but that was also a lockout year. Literally the only 1st overall picks to ever play in the WJC in their D+1 are the ones who were not under contract yet or had their seasons affected by a lockout.
Again, why are people automatically assuming Lafreniere even wants to go? Risking losing out of millions of dollars in case he gets injured resulting in his ELC to slide, I could think of quite a few reasons why he wouldn't even want to go.
Thirty One
Safe is safe.
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If playing at the World Juniors wouldn't affect him in attending training camp, I'd like to see him play. If they don't have that clarity yet, I can understand holding him out. If they do, I don't see the reason the NHL isn't playing as mattering at all.
