When I compare Lafreniere to Crosby stylistically, what I imply is the variety of their offending games. Think about what Crosbys real physical strengths are. Is he an elite skater, like McDavid or MacKinnon?
And look at that accuracy passing capability. The typical player drifting dishes across the neutral zone or passing in the middle lane through the oppositions sticks is normally the source of headaches for a coach, and Lafreniere will need to tighten up a bit versus greater levels of competition. He is one of the few players who can get away with it, though, due to the fact that he has the unusual ability to check out the ice and the hands to thread needles.
Lafrenieres vision and hockey sense are elite. Those are broad– if not unclear– terms, so lets break down some different examples of what that means in his case.
His effort cant be faulted. He forechecks with interest and he creates lots of offense choosing off passes. The exact same instincts that lead to him creating offensive likewise serve him well in expecting whats about to unfold defensively. He gets his stick in lanes and interferes with plays.
Here are two more of my own examples.
At one minute hes nonchalantly stick handling the puck, and the next, hes easily flicking his wrists and floating the puck leading rack before anybody can respond. He utilizes the very same types of body phonies on his passes to open up lanes for him to shoot or bring the puck into shooting positions.
Lafreniere likely fails Crosby and McDavid as proven Hall-of-Famers before they even reached the NHL, however hes one tier below that. And demonstrably above both Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko in last years draft, and thats no criticism of those two. Lafreniere is the very best player to come through Canadian Juniors since McDavid, and if theres any concern about the level of competitors then just aim to his 10 points in five World Juniors video games for Canada this past Winter; sufficient to lead the entire competition by points-per-game. If Lafreniere develops as anticipated– and there isnt much factor to doubt he will– the Rangers will have a legitimate superstar winger who could challenge for private accolades and be the finest forward on a perennial Stanley Cup contender.
With all that said, what are Lafrenieres perceived weaknesses? Compared to the average NHLer, Lafreniere is great at everything.
Skating is the “worst” part of his game. He developed reliable separation speed at the junior level, however will that hold up in the NHL? Its not a limitation, but skating is probably the best factor for why Lafreniere has not rather reached the tier of generational potential customers like Crosby or McDavid were at the same age.
Lafreniere is as physical as he requires to be in order to be reliable. As previously pointed out, hell drive the middle lane on offense and fight for pucks around the crease.
Its that absolutely nothing needs to be taken for given if 2020 has actually shown anything. Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton would not verbally dedicate last night to taking projected leading pick Alexis Lafreniere, and with two months until the draft he wouldnt be doing his job if he didnt do his due diligence on other gamers and possible trade alternatives.
Crosbys strength is that whatever is a strength and he has the brain to take advantage of each. The very same is normally real for Lafreniere. Some gamers are dominant because they have a few go-to relocations that the opposition is helpless to stop. In the case of Lafreniere, its that he can beat you so many various methods. He controls the tempo of the game with the puck on his stick. He makes unbelievable plays in area, and if there is no area then hell discover a method to produce it. Once he moves the puck, he keeps his feet moving and discovers the next area to contribute. Hes never ever out of the play and hes constantly a risk no matter the circumstance.
Great deals of elegant Lafreniere highlights but my favorites are the ones where hes simply smarter than everyone else. Like in this clip, goes from puck-carrier to goal-scorer with a strong middle drive that nestles him in behind the defense. They dont even understand hes there. pic.twitter.com/AginHa02by— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) August 10, 2020
Like Crosby, Lafrenieres biggest possession is his brain. Hockey remains a highly stiff, structured game, but coaches are gradually permitting for more unconventional methods and strolling from position, especially for an incredibly cerebral gamer who can be relied on to make his own judgments, such as Lafreniere.
It would be one of the most stunning minutes in the history of the draft if the Rangers passed on the productive winger very first total on October 9.
His stick managing adds yet another measurement. His capability to expect openings combined with unbelievable shiftiness implies he can expose defensemen who take bad angles in defense or who mistime attempts to strongly safeguard him.
Perhaps it will not show right away as he transitions from dominating juniors to playing in the NHL, but as he develops I think hes going to be a 200-foot gamer who could perhaps even contribute on the charge kill and be released to safeguard leads.
In both clips, the puck is on the opposite side of the offensive zone and the play is seemingly harmless, without any obvious danger. But Lafreniere keeps his feet moving, prepares for a vulnerability developing in the slot, and loses his man.
He does not normally offer outlet assistance or fly the zone like wingers usually do on breakouts. Rather, he comes all the way back to gather the puck and acts as point player.
In this example, its not sufficient to say that Lafreniere properly passes the puck; what creates the scoring chance is that he keeps his feet moving and can make those plays while doing so. He doesnt lose any speed while changing his body position, both in terms of his skating in addition to the speed with which he leaves those passes.
The last thing Ill highlight is Lafrenieres motion off the puck. For all of the emphasize reel plays, Lafreniere gets on the scoresheet frequently simply by ending up in the ideal location at the right time around the web.
Hockey remains an extremely stiff, structured video game, but coaches are slowly allowing for more unorthodox methods and wandering from position, especially for an incredibly cerebral gamer who can be relied on to make his own judgments, such as Lafreniere. The typical player drifting dishes across the neutral zone or passing in the middle lane through the oppositions sticks is typically the source of nightmares for a coach, and Lafreniere will have to tighten up a bit versus higher levels of competition. The last thing Ill highlight is Lafrenieres movement off the puck. For all of the emphasize reel plays, Lafreniere gets on the scoresheet often simply by ending up in the ideal location at the best time around the internet. Lafreniere is the finest gamer to come through Canadian Juniors since McDavid, and if theres any issue about the level of competition then simply look to his 10 points in five World Juniors games for Canada this past Winter; good adequate to lead the whole tournament by points-per-game.
His specialized is deceit. Like a pitcher who has the exact same release on a fastball and changeup, theres no “inform” in his game. His body movements are so quick and effective, he apparently has eyes in the back of his head, which is a dreadful mix for defenses. The constant movement implies new lanes open all over the ice, and he has the vision to see them out off the corner of his eye and the hands to then carry out the pass prior to the defense can check out the play and adjust (# 11 in these clips).
These types of plays would be encouraging for an average possibility, but for Lafreniere its the dull part. What I imply by that is, even the most average NHL gamers can stand in a practice rink and hit targets with jaw-dropping precision.
The last first-overall pick to come from Rimouski Oceanic was Sidney Crosby in 2005. Comparisons between him and Lafreniere are inescapable. Any discussion of Lafreniere matching Crosbys profession must be given a instant and screeching halt. Still, there are resemblances in playing design worth referencing.
That ability is why Lafreniere is the leading player on every draft board, and its why the Rangers, even as stacked as they are on wing, and as desperate as they are for defensemen and centers, will in any affordable scenario take him without the slightest hesitation.
As a scorer, can he stay up to date with the likes of Auston Matthews and Steven Stamkos? Not even close. Is he nonetheless a player who could and should score 30-plus in his prime? Definitely. Lafreniere is not going to rip blistering shots past goalies. Nevertheless, his scoring comes in a variety of methods.
Hell pick apart a defense to set up high-percentage shots in the offending zone, too. Heres an example of him making a play across the slot line, which Im sure will make Steve Valiquette happy.
My pal Jesse Marshall of The Athletic highlighted one great example of this.
I have actually likewise heard some criticisms of his defensive video game. I do not know if I personally purchase into that. Like many teenagers in juniors, he has work to do and– against lower levels of competition– his individual ability probably permits him some runway for tactical bad moves.
