Lafreniere's career trajectory could be a genuine feel-good story if he plateaus as a 1st liner for a good amount of time. You have a guy who was hyped ridiculously before being drafted and had some pretty high expectations. He faced a lot of scrutiny for a few years and likely struggled internally, but he kept his head down, paid his dues and finally grew into a top-line forward on a contending team. If the NYR win a cup in these next few years, it'll be a genuine motivational underdog story. I considered him a major disappointment prior to this season but I'm really happy that it's all coming together for him. He's never gonna be a game-breaking talent like other 1st overalls (Mackinnon, McDavid, Hughes, Bedard, etc.) but he doesn't have to be to have a successful career.
It's like getting a Volkswagen when you were promised a sports car. Not as flashy, but dependable and gets the job done.