Player Discussion Alexis Lafreniere
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Captain Monglobster
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- Nov 9, 2005
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redwhiteandblue
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- Apr 1, 2013
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Can we please learn from this and people stop calling for Kakko's head? Nice apple for him last night, he's been becoming a more consistent point producer albeit still not where we want him.
He needs to avoid injuries and sustain playing time on that third line and I think next year Kakko makes a big push too.
tlk
Registered User
Kakko’s already a middle 6 player just on his current play. We want a top line player, but we might be able to do a long term deal and benefit from a poor year and see a big jump if he can get faster.
RangerBoy
Dolan sucks!!!
He needs to be sold as soon as possible. He has no future here. I don't understand why they are keeping him around so much. Did he pay someone off?
bhamill
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- Apr 16, 2012
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Yeah, a guy who scored 40 5v5 points at 22 while being excellent on defense and possession... then had a down year with a bad injury but is rounding back into shape... oh, and whose QO is 2.4 mil.... lets get this cancer off the team no matter what.
@redwhiteandblue I guess you got your answer on whether "we" can learn or not... unless the above was sarcasm. hahahaha.
TopShelfSnipes
Registered User
If we can sign him for 5x5 and he gets faster and steps up his confidence the same way Laf did, he’s gonna have an even bigger breakout and be a massive part of a cup run, as it’s easy to underestimate his defense.
noncents
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- Feb 25, 2022
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I've come off the "Kakko can't be moved under any circumstances" train but I will never understand this ^^ viewpoint.
Forget his draft position. All that matters is: is he providing positive value relative to cap hit and in the team context. I have yet to hear a strong argument for why he's not.
redwhiteandblue
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Only way I'm trading Kakko is if the team goes out round 1 or swept in 2nd and we are looking to make a big shake up. Big like, oh Matty Tkachuk is out there and a team like Florida pounces. I'm cool with that.
He's still so young, players of his ilk don't always develop quickly. Forget what you were promised on his NHL-readiness on draft day, but make no mistake why he was drafted 2 overall by a landslide. He has absolutely flashed brilliance at the NHL-level offensively even if it's painfully inconsistent. He already plays to an almost elite-level (a stat nerd can check me here) defensively and takeaways, if he turns into a PPG player you are getting a star in this league. I'm still betting on he can.
As pointed out above, this is probably a great business opportunity to jump on an asset that is completely undervalued market-wise. I'd be looking to sign him long-term. No way with an increasing healthy cap you can't trade him on name value alone with term and a fair price in 2-3 years if you feel like you need to.
I like Vally, I think he really is an asset to the organization. Especially not working for another team. He's smart and gets the game, particularly in how it's evolving too. I'm surprised he hasn't been poached yet.
I do think he gets a bit full of himself as a TV guy though at times. It can be good and bad. I wouldn't be surprised if there's some truth to both side of it with Laf. He probably could work out harder and not rely on the pure ability of a guy who could go 1 overall without question... but I do remember him a lot during that wildly unfortunate D+1 year of the world being shut down, and there were reports he was working his tail off all he could to be ready.
His skating could be better sure, but it would be hard for anyone to deny he's starting to look like a new and better player. Perhaps he ends up being more Jamie Benn in that sense but he doesn't look out of place to me. In fact I notice him more and more being way better off the puck almost every night.
bhamill
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Because there is no strong argument for why he is not... It's purely an emotional kneejerk to him not living up to 2OA.
redwhiteandblue
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The injury this year was highly unfortunate. Make no mistake though that Laf and Kakko have taken another step and arrived this year. I'm in the camp of re-sign Wennberg and solidify a highly potent top-9. One of the kids should be able to play the Mika Kreider Cuckchair on the cheap.
HockeyBasedNYC
Feeling it
Last 26 games:
11 G, 10A, 21 Points +13
6 multipoint games
Thats a 35G, 32A, 67 Point pace over 82.
PP points over that span: 2
11 G, 10A, 21 Points +13
6 multipoint games
Thats a 35G, 32A, 67 Point pace over 82.
PP points over that span: 2
Machinehead
GoAwayTrouba
Valiquette didn't even say that...he didn't say it like he knew anything about Lafreniere's training habits or golf habits, he was just saying "maybe Laf needs to really focus this summer on the things he needs to do to be effect in the NHL"
At this point I am hoping he can just continue improving even more, and one of these days he truly does need to get #1 PP time somehow
Would it be ok to assume he would have another 10-15 points if he got pp1 time? I think that's being conservative. Trocheck has 22 points on the pp this year so far.
Kreider 23. Mika 26 I believe.
Yeah probably. You could hedge on whether the power play would be as effective with him in for whoever he's replacing but there's enough talent on there anyways that yes I think he'd be around 60 points or more if he had PP1 time
Machinehead
GoAwayTrouba
The question is, is the powerplay still as good as it is with him on it?
Before people go after me with pitchforks, it's a legitimate question.
Our powerplay has four legitimate world-class powerplay performers on it, and Trocheck who is excellent.
Yep. That is why I gave him half as many pp points as the one of the three guys he would "replace" I think if given a chance over a long stretch of time it would be just as effective but in the short term probably would have its ups and downs.
We will never know because the first unit will not be touched.
Machinehead
GoAwayTrouba
He'll get his chance.
He's still only 22 years old. I hope Kreider is immortal but he probably isn't. He'll be 33 next month.
In the meantime, I don't really care about the number of points. We know how he's playing and how he's progressed.
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
Can we keep the two separate? We should stop talking about Kakko with regards to Laf's breakout. Kakko is 9 months older and has a full extra season under him and isn't showing anything like what Laf has shown so far.
Look, Kakko is going to be a solid player, but he's never, ever going to be close to what anyone expected. And I think it's unfair to keep saying these things about the guy. Let him develop (or not) on his own. Let's not put unreasonable expectations on him at this point. I do not see Kakko breaking out in the same way that Laf did. I do expect him to get better, but he's going to be a 2nd/3rd liner going forward. And that's not a bad thing.
Keep it up, Laf!
Still wild to me that there are people that believe his skating just magically improved over the offseason, and that’s why he’s performing better.
Still wild to me that there are people that believe his skating just magically improved over the offseason, and that’s why he’s performing better.
HockeyBasedNYC
Feeling it
I'd say so.
Whats encouraging is hes always the extra forward 6 on 4 and he likely would be the first one to replace any of the current forwards on PP1 God forbid.
So hes next in line, but the problem is when will that be?
The earliest any of the PP1 contracts expire is 26-27 (Panarin). But the way hes going he'll likely be extended and retire a Ranger.
Other than that it would be moving Mika and his 8.5 and taking his spot - but they would have to have a 1C as his replacement and if thats the case that player is likely a PP1 player they paid or traded for. Unless Trocheck is elevated.
So I doubt Laf gets any significant PP1 time unless there is an injury until 27-28, and even thats not a guarantee, because Kreider is an extremely reliable model from cyberdine systems and will also retire a Ranger. He will be in front of the other teams goalie until he hangs them up.
The only other way is they make a personnel decision and replace Trocheck or Mika with Laf. But I dont see them ever doing that (long term) given the success of this unit.
The idea of the "next core" with Laf, Miller, Schneider, Gabe, Othy, etc. is still a WAYS off
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