Player Discussion Alexis Lafreniere

[Shesterkybomb]

Serving crow from now til midnight, it's cold and deserving.

 

[Profet]

Even when laffy was on the 3rd line last year you could see the flashes of the top 6 skill but an immature game. Kakko has a mature game that appears to lack the top 6 skill. There is a distinction there.

This is revisionist history...
Laf didn't show flashes of anything until this year. That was the detractor's (including me) biggest gripe about him.

Even this preseason it looked like it would be more of the same with him even getting healthy scratched at least once.

 

[Row I Goon]

Laf walking into G1 of the playoffs be like…..

 

[Priorae]

Very proud and encouraged at how far he has come. He was one good game away from a 30-30-60 season with minimal PP time. Guy should be a perrenial 70 pt+ player, at minimum, for a long time going forward.

It's very rare to see disappointing prospects turn it around before getting traded, but he did it! He is a bust no more my friends, and figured it out at the age of 22.

So happy for him and us as Ranger fans. He was the most confounding player for so long. Nothing about his junior career even whispered bust, but then he would play slow and pointless for great periods.

It took time and the ceiling is really high. Probably give a lot of credit to the coaching change / Drury and Laf himself for ultimately succeeding.

 

[E-Train]

He flipped the switch from the mediocre preseason to game 1 in Buffalo. Was a force with Panarin and Chytil. Never looked back from there.

Hilarious that the point leaders read PP1, then Laf, then no one else close. Looking at 40-40 very soon

 

[NYR Viper]

I think he has poor offensive hockey IQ. He rarely makes a play in the middle of the ice that breaks down the defense putting the team in dangerous scoring situations.

If we look just back to last year this is just not accurate though. He was consistently putting Lafreniere and Chytil in spots to score.

 

[bhamill]

This is revisionist history...
Laf didn't show flashes of anything until this year. That was the detractor's (including me) biggest gripe about him.

Even this preseason it looked like it would be more of the same with him even getting healthy scratched at least once.

If you go back there were actually some of us that would point out those flashes prior to this season. It revisionist to say we didn’t. I’m not here to “I told you so” anyone but yes, some of us pointed out things we saw all along; there were two plays in particular where he undressed defenders to score that I always pointed to. Because they weren’t something you accidentally pull off. The talent HAD to be there to do it, just a matter of “consistency,” and confidence, and I said that till I was blue in the face.
You may not have seen the potential, that doesn’t mean nobody did.

 

[will1066]

Remember when we criticized him for grooving to the music over the PA? Didn't take things seriously?

Pepperidge Farms remembers.

 

[IDvsEGO]

If you go back there were actually some of us that would point out those flashes prior to this season. It revisionist to say we didn’t I’m not here to “I told you so” anyone but yes, some of us pointed out things we saw all along; there were two plays in particular where he undressed defenders to score that I always pointed to. Because they weren’t something you acccidentally pull off. The talent HAD to be there to do it, as a matter of “consistency,” and confidence and I said that till I was blue in the face.
You may not have seen the potential, that doesn’t mean nobody did.

Ahem. I’m here to say “I told you so”

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Fantastic, consistent season from Lafreniere.

He's arrived

 

[IDvsEGO]

Fantastic, consistent season from Lafreniere.

He's arrived

I wouldn’t go that far. I think he still has more upside. I think the playoffs are the perfect stage for him though.

 

[RempireStateBuilding]

This is revisionist history...
Laf didn't show flashes of anything until this year. That was the detractor's (including me) biggest gripe about him.

Even this preseason it looked like it would be more of the same with him even getting healthy scratched at least once.

Flashes were always there, just not enough in frequency or quantity to placate everyone that was expecting another McDavid out of the gate. A little physical maturation and some reps later, here we are with the season he just put together. Whether people want to accept that those flashes existed is another story.

 

[Levitate]

This is revisionist history...
Laf didn't show flashes of anything until this year. That was the detractor's (including me) biggest gripe about him.

Even this preseason it looked like it would be more of the same with him even getting healthy scratched at least once.

Nah I disagree, he has flashed skill before. He's flashed hands, he's flashed vision, but most of the time it was short stretches or surrounded by longer stretches where he looked hesitant or off pace.

Kakko also flashes skill but he's struggling hard to just get the puck often enough to make plays and his lack of explosive step is really hurting him

 

[IDvsEGO]

Nah I disagree, he has flashed skill before. He's flashed hands, he's flashed vision, but most of the time it was short stretches or surrounded by longer stretches where he looked hesitant or off pace.

Kakko also flashes skill but he's struggling hard to just get the puck often enough to make plays and his lack of explosive step is really hurting him

I’ll agree with both of those. I’ll say this does fit into the narrative that with top picks, you just gotta throw them out there and give them time. Laf came into the worst lw situation he could’ve, and neither gallant or Quinn had the balls to throw him on the right side.


Same narrative with Kakko, just keep throwing him out there and he’ll get more confident.
Kakko is also getting hit with a lot of weak slashing calls, which hurts his defensive play.

 

[bhamill]

Ahem. I’m here to say “I told you so”

ahahahahaha

 

[Machinehead]

Somebody told me over the summer "you can't just get rid of a 21 year old" and I was just like "I'll throw his ass in the East River."

I'm going in to get him.

 

[Machinehead]

Me looking for Lafreniere in the river

 

[RangersFan1994]

2 goals shy from 30 and 3 points shy of 60. Very good season. Hope he continues this into the playoffs. its a shame Kakko can’t do this

 

[EXTRAS]

I wonder if he gets onto pp1 next season...

 

[IDvsEGO]

2 goals shy from 30 and 3 points shy of 60. Very good season. Hope he continues this into the playoffs. its a shame Kakko can’t do this

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

What a year he had. Happy for him.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

Highlight of the season for me (thus far).

For the past few years, despite our success, my concern was that it wasn’t sustainable. Our vets were getting older and our young forwards weren’t getting any better. I found it difficult to watch us get outshot 2:1 on our way to winning a game 2:1 due to a good break from Panarin.

To have us winning, not in spite of, but due to, our young players improving is just that much more satisfying.

 

[Rongomania]

So proud of our boy. As soon as Jake the snake beats it this kid has gotta get the C. It’s obvious Foxy never wanted it, though I really wanted him to get it.

 

[AirGut]

scores the first regular season goal, scores the final regular season goal.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

He’s become our 3rd or 4th best forward