Value of: Should Rangers trade Lafreniere?

[Favin]

Hughes, C, NJD, Born May 14, 2001
as 18-year old: 0.34 ppg
as 19-year-old: 0.55 ppg
as 20-year-old: 1.14 ppg

Lafreniere, W, NYR, Born Oct 11, 2001
as 18-year-old: (in juniors)
as 19-year-old: 0.38 ppg
as 20-year-old: 0.36 ppg

Why are these two still being compared? The better comparison would be Dawson Mercer. Two weeks younger than Laf, from same junior league, also plays mostly wing.

Mercer, W, NJD, Born Oct 27, 2001
as 18-year-old: (in juniors)
as 19-year-old: 0.80 ppg (5gp)
as 20-year-old: 0.53 ppg

 

[KaseMeOutside]

Rangers did the right things in developing their non top 2 picks but they rushed 2 guys just because of where they picked them.

Gonna be an interesting contract negotiation

 

[doomscroll]

The Rangers are a playoff team with a relatively young starting goaltender, a very young defensive core, and a few high-echelon forwards in their primes.
It doesn’t make sense for a cap-crunched team like that to trade a 20 year-old cost-controlled winger who produces like a middle-six forward with bottom-six minutes just because of draft pedigree. If Lafreniere was drafted with the 10th overall pick there would be no narrative around him being traded. If there was a young center with genuine top-six potential in play then that’s a dofferent story, but otherwise it makes more sense to keep Lafreniere and allow him to develop into his early twenties rather than get rid of him just because he’s not given prime minutes to produce as a centerpiece on the team. I’m sure plenty of teams would be happy to have a 20 y/o winger who can provide thirty even-strength points. How many first-overall-picks have a 100-point-player and a 50-goal-scorer ahead of them in their line-up?

 

[doomscroll]

Hughes, C, NJD, Born May 14, 2001
as 18-year old: 0.34 ppg
as 19-year-old: 0.55 ppg
as 20-year-old: 1.14 ppg

Lafreniere, W, NYR, Born Oct 11, 2001
as 18-year-old: (in juniors)
as 19-year-old: 0.38 ppg
as 20-year-old: 0.36 ppg

Why are these two still being compared? The better comparison would be Dawson Mercer. Two weeks younger than Laf, from same junior league, also plays mostly wing.

Mercer, W, NJD, Born Oct 27, 2001
as 18-year-old: (in juniors)
as 19-year-old: 0.80 ppg (5gp)
as 20-year-old: 0.53 ppg

Who are the players ahead of Mercer and Hughes to take general/PP1 minutes on the Devils? The Rangers have Panarin and Kreider at LW ahead of Lafreniere.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Who are the players ahead of Mercer and Hughes to take general/PP1 minutes on the Devils? The Rangers have Panarin and Kreider at LW ahead of Lafreniere.

Mercer had Hughes and Hischier ahead of him. He's played half of the year on the third line.

Contrary to popular belief, scoring from the third line is not only allowed, it's encouraged.

 

[Three On Zero]

Miller for Laf and Kravtsov

 

[bernmeister]

Miller for Laf and Kravtsov

thanks but again, no

 

[doomscroll]

Mercer had Hughes and Hischier ahead of him. He's played half of the year on the third line.

Contrary to popular belief, scoring from the third line is not only allowed, it's encouraged.

According to NaturalStatTrick, Mercer has received ice-time at even strength and the powerplay of a 4-5 forward, with roughly equivalent powerplay time. Laf has received ice-time of an 8-10 forward. Mercer’s even-strength production vs. ice-time over the season edges out Laf by ~0.23%. 31 pts in 1030 min vs 25 pts in 903 min. Mercer has played two more games for context.

 

[Three On Zero]

thanks but again, no

At least you know that the Rangers would have to add

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

According to NaturalStatTrick, Mercer has received ice-time at even strength and the powerplay of a 4-5 forward, with roughly equivalent powerplay time. Laf has received ice-time of an 8-10 forward. Mercer’s even-strength production vs. ice-time over the season edges out Laf by ~0.23%. 31 pts in 1030 min vs 25 pts in 903 min. Mercer has played two more games for context.

Mercer has 34 ES points, Lafreniere has 26.

Mercer is 7th among devils forwards in PP ice time per game.

 

[doomscroll]

Mercer has 34 ES points, Lafreniere has 26.

Mercer is 7th among devils forwards in PP ice time per game.

Sorry, I meant 5v5 points. Mercer is fourth in PPTOI overall, which means he got a lot of power play minutes with Hughes out long-term and when Hischier was out earlier in the season.

 

[One Winged Angel]

Waiting for him to go on a hot streak and then trading him is obviously the correct answer.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Laf for Byfield

 

[Black Tank]

No reason whatsoever. The Rangers are a SC contender while some of these other franchises are perpetual lottery pick losers. The Rangers can be as patient as they want with their deep talent pool because they already have the one of the best teams in the league. Pretty f***ing simple.

 

[Favin]

Sorry, I meant 5v5 points. Mercer is fourth in PPTOI overall, which means he got a lot of power play minutes with Hughes out long-term and when Hischier was out earlier in the season.

Mercer 1:45 power play minutes per game (9th on team)
Lafreniere 1:10 power play minutes per game (10th on team).

Since some teams play 4F, 1D, some play 3F, 2D....PP TOI should not be measured by position (unlike 5v5 where there are more apple-to-apples lines).

 

[TGWL]

Why on earth are we haveing all thse post about Laffy> nobody has called to offer 5 1st rounders. right now he is a 15 goal guy. Next year who knows. NY wont give up yet on him. Nobody will pay a Kings ransom until he IS a superstar. ALL this right now is MOOT.

He has paced and now scored above 15 goals in both seasons. Of course nobody is giving up 5 1st round picks for him or a Kings random. But it will take a very good offer for NYR to consider moving him. A mid-first is not that offer.

 

[TGWL]

Because you don't want a good Forchecking, penalty killing winger who can score ?

He will be 24 before Laf is 20. You think that really makes sense for NYR? Do you see him being a top RW for us, because if the answer is no - what's the point? Are we trading Laf to put Yamamoto on the 3rd line? Doesn't make a lot of sense there.

 

[TGWL]

Rangers did the right things in developing their non top 2 picks but they rushed 2 guys just because of where they picked them.

Gonna be an interesting contract negotiation

Had nothing left to prove in juniors. Curse of the CHL-NHL agreement, I suppose. Bad off-season involving covid, and then getting thrown right into the NHL, where he was mostly utilize as a bottom 6 player from coach DQ. Not the best development, I agree, but as far as rushing him in the league, he had nowhere else to go.

 

[Vitto79]

He’s 20 and doing well 5x5
It’s not his fault he’s not on PP1
The answers NO and will be that for a long time

 

[Meichel Kane]

I think they should trade him, and to my team.

 

[bernmeister]

At least you know that the Rangers would have to add

No, esp in totality of circumstances, but pt is moot NY does not have cap, as I have been saying, needs to retain/develop young core to extend window to max while dealing w/cap

 

[bernmeister]

Waiting for him to go on a hot streak and then trading him is obviously the correct answer.

Should only be considered for trade after his production establishes his potential and value, and when he prices himself out.
No prob dealing but not for cheap.

 

[bernmeister]

Rangers have to hope he can turn it around.

Unfortunately he’s not likely to get much in the way of Top 6 minutes and consistent PP time with the way the Rangers are playing and personnel.

Tough one.

Because his value will certainly start to further decline if a similar season happens next year.

bold is true, but those paying attention observe it is chiefly due to his skating, which has improved, and will continue to do so, and projects to be high enuf NHL level by next season that he may fulfill his potential.
Other thing that would help is find correct linemates and stick w/them, build chemistry, stop effinn juggling lines CONSTANTLY

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

Rangers should definitely trade Lafreniere.............to Montreal

 

[RC51]

He has paced and now scored above 15 goals in both seasons. Of course nobody is giving up 5 1st round picks for him or a Kings random. But it will take a very good offer for NYR to consider moving him. A mid-first is not that offer.

exactly, right now Laf has not proved to be that top 1st rounder. Yes he sure might step up his game in the next 2-3 years. The ranger should keep him for now. he wont get any worse but he sure might get a whole lot better. In 2-3 years he if never get going, then you can trade him for that mid 1st rounder and let some other team try to get him going. Of course asking for that Kings Ransom right now is way too much.