F Alexis Lafreniere - Rimouski Oceanic, QMJHL (2020 Draft)

[Hossa]

What the hell is this myth? His skating is very powerful and the TSN crew were salivating over it all game. He’s not McDavid but these last few comments are a joke, and I’m having trouble believing those who made them have watched him at all.

Relax, you missed the point and somehow took a John Tavares comparison really badly. His skating's fine, but he's not McDavid in that regard and he has two more years of scrutiny to go before even getting to the draft. To my eye, his stride can be a little stiff at times for an elite player, and as a result this part of his skill set could face some scrutiny. The same thing happened to Tavares as people over-analyzed his game, and clearly any such concerns were overblown.

 

[VanNistelrooy]

Bjindaho, Lafrenière played wing too in Midget AAA. His center was Felix Lafrance. He only played a couple of games at center during MAAA playoffs (where his team surprisingy lost).

 

[Thebesthockey]

He's been one his whole career outside of this year. And this is exactly what Saint John did with Veleno, so that he could practice his faceoffs every day but not take draws in game situations when he doesn't have the strength to win them.

he is and always was C midget/down

 

[SergeConstantin74]

Bjindaho, Lafrenière played wing too in Midget AAA. His center was Felix Lafrance. He only played a couple of games at center during MAAA playoffs (where his team surprisingy lost).

Yep he played with Lafrance in Bantam AAA (2015-16) and Midget AAA (2016-17).

He's really not a center.

 

[Dodospice]

He's been one his whole career outside of this year. And this is exactly what Saint John did with Veleno, so that he could practice his faceoffs every day but not take draws in game situations when he doesn't have the strength to win them.

He may become a C in the Q but he’s not an NHL C.

 

[Thebesthockey]

another beauty goal

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Lol
where you watching the right lafreniere ?

horrible assesment

You were the person who said he's better than Dahlin?

Well then of course you have to disagree with my assessment.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He's a center who played wing this year because he was on a line with Dove-McFalls who won 60+ percent of his draws and is an elite defensive center at that level (he centered Veleno the year before). He will likely move back next year.

From what I read, he's going to be a winger. If he can successfully move to center, I think he ups his value.

 

[Thebesthockey]

You were the person who said he's better than Dahlin?

Well then of course you have to disagree with my assessment.

fake news
never said that
i said he would be in conversation for top 3

 

[SergeConstantin74]

He may play C in the Q but he’s not an NHL C.

He doesn't play C at all in the Q. He has taken like 12 faceoffs all year in Rimouski. Even in Midget AAA last year his team's top 2 centers were Felix Lafrance and Justin Ducharme.

I don't know why people calls him a C, he hasn't been one in the past few years.

 

[Dodospice]

He doesn't play C at all in the Q. He has taken like 12 faceoffs all year in Rimouski. Even in Midget AAA last year his team's top 2 centers were Felix Lafrance and Justin Ducharme.

I don't know why people calls him a C, he hasn't been one in the past few years.

You are not following what I’m saying, I know he’s not a C. He’s a LW, I never expect him to be a C. However, you do see guys play C as they get older in the CHL that normally wouldn’t. So he may at some point become a C for Rimouski but he’s never going to be one in the NHL.

He’s a LW, he’s best on the wing, why do people feel the need to try and project guys to positions their games don’t fit? There was people on here asking if Laine could become a C during his draft year.

 

[thelittlecoon]

He is so damn good. Having an unreal tourney

 

[L13]

You are not following what I’m saying, I know he’s not a C. He’s a LW, I never expect him to be a C. However, you do see guys play C as they get older in the CHL that normally wouldn’t. So he may at some point become a C for Rimouski but he’s never going to be one in the NHL.

He’s a LW, he’s best on the wing, why do people feel the need to try and project guys to positions their games don’t fit? There was people on here asking if Laine could become a C during his draft year.

Because of comments like the one up the page, which claims he’ll “up his value” if he becomes a centre. People don’t seem to realise that all players have the same job, to drive positive goal differentials, which different positions and playing styles achieve in different ways.

Lafrenière is a winger and that doesn’t detract from his superstar potential one bit.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

He is so damn good. Having an unreal tourney

Slam dunk pick for #1, he might even be better than Hughes. And Hughes looks better than Eichel and Matthews.

The future of the NHL is bright.

 

[SergeConstantin74]

You are not following what I’m saying, I know he’s not a C. He’s a LW, I never expect him to be a C. However, you do see guys play C as they get older in the CHL that normally wouldn’t. So he may at some point become a C for Rimouski but he’s never going to be one in the NHL.

He’s a LW, he’s best on the wing, why do people feel the need to try and project guys to positions their games don’t fit? There was people on here asking if Laine could become a C during his draft year.

Oh I understood what you said, I just wanted to hit Post reply but instead I added your quote when I didn't want to.

 

[SergeConstantin74]

Correct me if I'm wrong but one thing that is so special about Lafrenière is that it's like he came from nowhere. I mean, players like Crosby, McDavid, Tavares were dominating their age group for many years before their junior draft. Lafrenière didn't.

In his first year in Bantam AAA (13 yo), his stats looked just ordinary, he finished with 19 points while Xavier Parent finished with 49.

In his second year in Bantam AAA (14 yo), he finished first in scoring with 69 points but it was on par with what was done before and after by scoring leaders in that league. And that season some of the best players in his age group (Samuel Poulin, Xavier Parent and Xavier Simoneau) were playing Midget AAA.

It was really in Midget AAA (15 yo) that he exploded and put up numbers never seen since the 90's by a player his age.

 

[Hfbsux]

I’d pump the breaks on saying 16 year old Lafreniere is better than 16 year old McDavid.

16 year old McDavid had 99 points in 56 games and played at the World Juniors, 15 year old McDavid also dominated the U-18 as a double underager to the tune of 14 points in 7 games and had 9 points in 5 games at the U17 that yesr as well.

16 year old Lafreniere had 80 points in 60 games, fantastic season no doubt. His PPG rate is also solid at the U17 and we’ll see what happens at the U18. Either way though, whatever he does at the U18 playing against guys 1 year older then him is not as impressive as McDavid playing against guys 2 years older then him at the same event.

I think Lafreniere is one of the best talents to come out of the Q in a long time but having seen a lot of both McDavid and Lafreniere at 16 years old, it’s not really a comparison. McDavid at 16 is a ways ahead of Lafreniere.

We went thru those comparisons and everytime people brings the age difference. McDavid's 99 points season was in his 16-17 years old season (he turned 17 on January 13). Lafreniere's 80 points season came into his 15-16 years old season (granted, he only played 6 games at 15).

I decided to take McDavid's game played at 16 from his first season (last 25 games) and 2nd season (first 34 games) and did the math: 79 points in 59 games for a 1.34 ppg.

Now for Lafrenière: 74 points in 54 games for a 1.37 ppg. If I add the playoffs game (7pts in 7g), it gives him a 1.33 ppg (81 pts in 61 games) which is almost identical to McDavid's stats.

We also need to take in account that by comparing stats this way, it gives McDavid the advantage age wise because he was playing in his last month of his birthday while Lafreniere has not. Although, McDavid was playing in the tougher league, it is worth noting that the Q is not a higher scoring league.

 

[Lebowski]

What really makes McDavid special though is his skating coupled with how easy it is for him to handle the puck and make plays at high speed. It really is unparalleled in the league right now, and historically I can only think of maybe Bure that can compare.

The numbers are there with Lafreniere, but I don't think anything really sets him apart from everyone else the way skating does for McDavid. I'm eager to see his progression going into next season, though. I think we'll only be able to measure him up properly at that point. So far his closest comparable stats wise is probably Taylor Hall, but Hall didn't have the kind of exponential growth in junior you saw with McDavid.

 

[Hfbsux]

Just pointing they had similar stats at 16 years old. I'm not predicting Lafreniere will be better than McDavid either.

 

[93LEAFS]

Just pointing they had similar stats at 16 years old. I'm not predicting Lafreniere will be better than McDavid either.

You tend to measure CHL numbers by birth year, not draft year (although the best system is adjustment). McDavid's numbers blow him out of the water in that regard, and that's before getting into the fact OHL scoring tends to be more transferable to the NHL when you factor in league adjustments.

Either way, if you want to benchmark stuff like that by going by exact days, Tavares and Crosby blow everyone out the water by a significant margin.

 

[McFlash97]

We went thru those comparisons and everytime people brings the age difference. McDavid's 99 points season was in his 16-17 years old season (he turned 17 on January 13). Lafreniere's 80 points season came into his 15-16 years old season (granted, he only played 6 games at 15).

I decided to take McDavid's game played at 16 from his first season (last 25 games) and 2nd season (first 34 games) and did the math: 79 points in 59 games for a 1.34 ppg.

Now for Lafrenière: 74 points in 54 games for a 1.37 ppg. If I add the playoffs game (7pts in 7g), it gives him a 1.33 ppg (81 pts in 61 games) which is almost identical to McDavid's stats.

We also need to take in account that by comparing stats this way, it gives McDavid the advantage age wise because he was playing in his last month of his birthday while Lafreniere has not. Although, McDavid was playing in the tougher league, it is worth noting that the Q is not a higher scoring league.

McDavid versus LF at 16. McDavid all day and 5 times on Sunday. Thanks for the insight. LF is damm good though

2013-14

Erie Otters

OHL

56

28

71

99

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

2017-18

Rimouski Oceanic

QMJHL

60

42

38

80

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

not close man. thanks

now if LF can follow that with this then your talking.

2014-15

Erie Otters

OHL

47

44

76

120

48

60

20

21

28

49

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Lays]

Slam dunk pick for #1, he might even be better than Hughes. And Hughes looks better than Eichel and Matthews.

The future of the NHL is bright.

I’d wait a little to say that, we’re two years away from him being drafted
Also, Byfield may challenge him as well for 1st, let’s see how he does in the OHL next year.

 

[Hfbsux]

McDavid versus LF at 16. McDavid all day and 5 times on Sunday. Thanks for the insight. LF is damm good though

2013-14

Erie Otters

OHL

56

28

71

99

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

2017-18

Rimouski Oceanic

QMJHL

60

42

38

80

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

not close man. thanks

now if LF can follow that with this then your talking.

2014-15

Erie Otters

OHL

47

44

76

120

48

60

20

21

28

49

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

I'm aware of all those stats. I don't think you understand what I did.

 

[schnapshot]

McDavid versus LF at 16. McDavid all day and 5 times on Sunday. Thanks for the insight. LF is damm good though

2013-14

Erie Otters

OHL

56

28

71

99

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

2017-18

Rimouski Oceanic

QMJHL

60

42

38

80

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

not close man. thanks

now if LF can follow that with this then your talking.

2014-15

Erie Otters

OHL

47

44

76

120

48

60

20

21

28

49

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Like he said earlier, McDavid was 17 half the year for his 99-point season, Lafreniere was 16 the whole time. You know because he’s also going to play 3 seasons before getting drafted.

I think calculating McDavid’s points at 16 (half his first year and half second year) gives a better idea, and Acadien86 demonstrated they’re pretty much equal.

 

[Hfbsux]

You tend to measure CHL numbers by birth year, not draft year (although the best system is adjustment). McDavid's numbers blow him out of the water in that regard, and that's before getting into the fact OHL scoring tends to be more transferable to the NHL when you factor in league adjustments.

Either way, if you want to benchmark stuff like that by going by exact days, Tavares and Crosby blow everyone out the water by a significant margin.

Those numbers were their numbers from 16years to 16yr 11months 31 days only, I was not trying to prove a point.