Mercogliano Rangers Expected to Sign Lafreniere to 2-year Bridge With $2.5–2.75m AAV

[RangersIn7]

3 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

However GG has had the same progression 3 times in a row now.  Usually when that is the case the person has a pattern that keeps repeating and causes the problems.

 

In GG's case it appears to be that he simplifies everything when he comes in the door.  This takes the pressure off of the vets and they have a very good first year, sometimes a spectacular year like Kreider's two years ago.

 

Then he fails to adapt to the strengths on his team and the players fall back to earth over the next season or two and he gets fired again.

 

Letting the players do their own thing is very effective when they have been constrained in a system that didn't fit particularly well.  However it's not the be-all and end-all and you do have to give them something to coalesce around eventually or they're going to wind up all doing fancy pirouettes while the other team skates circles around them.

 

Note that none of this has anything to do with what happens next season.  If Laviolette has a worse regular season than the ones GG produced and the Rangers exit early in the playoffs nobody is going to care if GG would have done the same.  

All of these are sentiments I echo. 
 

But I’ll add that it’s a 2-way street.

Developing well, it requires the right things being done on both sides.

They both get a C-minus thus far.

 

And yet, the results are actually decent.

Edited July 14, 2023 by RangersIn7

[Keirik]

Just some food for thought. Since the end of the lockout for 05/06 only 4 first overall picks have had under 15 minutes TOI in their rookie season.

Stamkos 14:56

Yakupov  14:34

Lafreniere 13:53

Slafkovsky 12:13

[RangersIn7]

3 minutes ago, Keirik said:

Just some food for thought. Since the end of the lockout for 05/06 only 4 first overall picks have had under 15 minutes TOI in their rookie season.

Stamkos 14:56

Yakupov  14:34

Lafreniere 13:53

Slafkovsky 12:13

That’s true. Amongst the forwards at least. 
 

And Stamkos had the most, and had 1/3 of his points in the PP. 

We’ve gotten what’s expected based on what he’s had to do it under. 
 

And look at the jump those guys got in year 2. 

Edited July 15, 2023 by RangersIn7

[The Dude]

1 hour ago, Br4d said:

Go look at Lafreniere's tape from before the draft.

 

He's a perimeter player who swoops opportunistically on goal.  That was there before the Rangers drafted him.

 

What he was not was a grinder in the corners making plays from there.

A perimeter player that's opportunistic?

 

He was a bigger kid than the other kids and had a knack to setting up his linemates for tap ins at the doorstep. The tape shows a kid that headed straight to the net and easily got past defenders without speed. Weren't you saying he learned/emulated the zone entry and automatic curl from Panarin?

 

All we heard about Lafrenière from contributors here, were that he was:

 

Strong

Willing to go to the hard places 

Gritty

Physical  ("LOOK AT THE HIT STATS!")

Alot like Kreider 

Great passer

Great Shot

Great puck handler

 

He's none of this. 

 

Hes most certainly not opportunistic around the goal. They had him planted in the Kreider zone (front of goalie) and he had a little success.  Then defenders realized he's easily pushed around and that fell apart. 

 

I feel like he made late strides 2 seasons ago. Though his conditioning was garbage, he battled a lot more and made moves to the net. That disappeared this past season. 

 

 

[Pete]

2 hours ago, BrooksBurner said:

Found @Keirik’s burner.

 

He scored 19 goals that year Kreider potted 50. A few gimmies sprinkled in there for sure, but that is not a ”zero” and it never has been. That’s just an irrational take becase you’re mad.

 

His rookie season was the weird partial Covid no training camp season. Everyone threw that year away for rookies. The next season Kreider had 15 goals by Thanksgiving. Laf could have netted 30 and not have passed up Kreider or Panarin. It is what it was.

Lafreniere sucks. Deal with it. 

[RangersIn7]

14 minutes ago, The Dude said:

A perimeter player that's opportunistic?

 

He was a bigger kid than the other kids and had a knack to setting up his linemates for tap ins at the doorstep. The tape shows a kid that headed straight to the net and easily got past defenders without speed. Weren't you saying he learned/emulated the zone entry and automatic curl from Panarin?

 

All we heard about Lafrenière from contributors here, were that he was:

 

Strong

Willing to go to the hard places 

Gritty

Physical  ("LOOK AT THE HIT STATS!")

Alot like Kreider 

Great passer

Great Shot

Great puck handler

 

He's none of this. 

 

Hes most certainly not opportunistic around the goal. They had him planted in the Kreider zone (front of goalie) and he had a little success.  Then defenders realized he's easily pushed around and that fell apart. 

 

I feel like he made late strides 2 seasons ago. Though his conditioning was garbage, he battled a lot more and made moves to the net. That disappeared this past season. 

 

 

A lot of this is incorrect.

And I disagree.

 

Again… we reap what we sow.

 

 

[The Dude]

1 hour ago, RangersIn7 said:

No

 

It’s just the recognition of the fact that you reap what you sow.

 

Hes tried to fall in line and just fit in.

And he’s found himself on the 3rd line as a result.

And wouldn’t ya know who won the pony?

 

Hes been on their 3rd line… and you’re surprised he’s giving them 3rd line production.

 

You don’t get prime, hand cut, dry aged, ribeye on an out of the box, supermarket, ground Chuck. 
 

And pretty soon, that goes stale. 

Except in these terms, the cow gives a fuck as to how he’s slaughtered, butchered, cooked and served.

And they know when something is up.

Butcher shop analogies now? 

 

Again.  He had the most icetime for any RW to play with Panarin and he failed. He's been given the opportunity. He's done nothing with them. 

 

Most any really good player, who SHOULD  be in the top 6, forces his way there by being undeniable. Name one single stretch. Heck. Name one single shift that the kid has had here, where you can say- "See, that's why he deserves to be up there with the top guys."

 

There isn't one instance of that. Somehow, you just don't care that these eye tests are a huge factor in the thought process of why he is where he is and why people are down on him. 

 

"He's tried to fit in" isn't a good enough excuse. Hes been JAG and that's not what anyone expected or wants from him. Be a 1OA. Fit in that way.  Be a focal point on the team.  Carry a frikken line. It's not like he needs permission to be good. I don't get this line of thinking. 

 

"No, no, no Alexis. Stop being good. Fall in line and underwhelm the shit out of us. We like that.  We only want a couple reallllly good players. You just take a backseat and do nothing really good. That'll help us a lot." - Rangers coaching staffs. 

 

Quinn and Gallant pushed the kid. They gave him opportunity. The results are- nobody is thrilled with his play. But you're acting like he's done so on purpose. Like he doesn't want to step on any toes, with how much better and dominant he can be. He wants to fulfill the coaching staffs dreams of being a hair better offensively than Vesey and Gauthier.   

 

Come on man. 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2023 by The Dude

[The Dude]

10 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said:

A lot of this is incorrect.

And I disagree.

 

Again… we reap what we sow.

 

 

What is incorrect besides what people from this forum were boasting about this kids game over the last 4 years? 

 

 

[BrooksBurner]

37 minutes ago, Pete said:

Lafreniere sucks. Deal with it. 

 

[RangersIn7]

3 hours ago, The Dude said:

Butcher shop analogies now? 

 

Again.  He had the most icetime for any RW to play with Panarin and he failed. He's been given the opportunity. He's done nothing with them. 

 

Most any really good player, who SHOULD  be in the top 6, forces his way there by being undeniable. Name one single stretch. Heck. Name one single shift that the kid has had here, where you can say- "See, that's why he deserves to be up there with the top guys."

 

There isn't one instance of that. Somehow, you just don't care that these eye tests are a huge factor in the thought process of why he is where he is and why people are down on him. 

 

"He's tried to fit in" isn't a good enough excuse. Hes been JAG and that's not what anyone expected or wants from him. Be a 1OA. Fit in that way.  Be a focal point on the team.  Carry a frikken line. It's not like he needs permission to be good. I don't get this line of thinking. 

 

"No, no, no Alexis. Stop being good. Fall in line and underwhelm the shit out of us. We like that.  We only want a couple reallllly good players. You just take a backseat and do nothing really good. That'll help us a lot." - Rangers coaching staffs. 

 

Quinn and Gallant pushed the kid. They gave him opportunity. The results are- nobody is thrilled with his play. But you're acting like he's done so on purpose. Like he doesn't want to step on any toes, with how much better and dominant he can be. He wants to fulfill the coaching staffs dreams of being a hair better offensively than Vesey and Gauthier.   

 

Come on man. 

 

 

Wow!

 

You should turn north. And then start walking, slowly, back towards reality.

Cause clearly that which is, and that which you perceive, do not line up.

 

Just don’t start driving on the left side of the road. 

 

[RangersIn7]

3 hours ago, The Dude said:

What is incorrect besides what people from this forum were boasting about this kids game over the last 4 years? 

 

 

You’re one of the people in this forum… and you still speak of and cite Julian Gauthier?

 

That guy?

Really?

 

And your expectations subsequent to that are what, exactly?To be taken seriously?

 

Theyre all more or less what I’d expect at this point, given all things involved. 

Im not expecting good meat from a cow I don’t especially care for or do right by.

But I also acknowledge the fact that that can actually improve… and can do so in a variety of ways, and through a variety of measures taken. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Keirik]

Guys, we can disagree, but let’s try to keep it a bit more geared at discussing the player rather than the poster. It’s still a long summer lol

[Br4d]

7 hours ago, Keirik said:

Guys, we can disagree, but let’s try to keep it a bit more geared at discussing the player rather than the poster. It’s still a long summer lol

 

Only 9 more weeks give or take before the skates go back on.

[RangersIn7]

9 hours ago, Keirik said:

Guys, we can disagree, but let’s try to keep it a bit more geared at discussing the player rather than the poster. It’s still a long summer lol

My fault.

I apologize 

 

Sorry fellas

[The Dude]

9 hours ago, RangersIn7 said:

You’re one of the people in this forum… and you still speak of and cite Julian Gauthier?

 

That guy?

Really?

 

And your expectations subsequent to that are what, exactly?To be taken seriously?

 

Theyre all more or less what I’d expect at this point, given all things involved. 

Im not expecting good meat from a cow I don’t especially care for or do right by.

But I also acknowledge the fact that that can actually improve… and can do so in a variety of ways, and through a variety of measures taken. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have no idea what your even saying here. Stay on topic.  Discuss what is incorrect in reality. Everything I said is accurate. Talk about it. 

Edited July 15, 2023 by The Dude

[Albatrosss]

59 minutes ago, The Dude said:

I have no idea what your even saying here. Stay on topic.  Discuss what is incorrect in reality. Everything I said is accurate. Talk about it. 

Nothing you ever say is accurate, Josh impersonator 

[Sod16]

Interesting speculation about LaF.  Don't think Hawks would do it.

 

https://www.hockeylatest.com/It-confirmed-for-Alexis-Lafreniere-who-could-well-join-an-up-and-coming-star-in-Chicago-255794

[RJWantsTheCup]

12 minutes ago, Sod16 said:

Interesting speculation about LaF.  Don't think Hawks would do it.

 

https://www.hockeylatest.com/It-confirmed-for-Alexis-Lafreniere-who-could-well-join-an-up-and-coming-star-in-Chicago-255794

If it’s a real offer I would strongly consider doing it.  

[RangersIn7]

32 minutes ago, Sod16 said:

Interesting speculation about LaF.  Don't think Hawks would do it.

 

https://www.hockeylatest.com/It-confirmed-for-Alexis-Lafreniere-who-could-well-join-an-up-and-coming-star-in-Chicago-255794

 

19 minutes ago, RJWantsTheCup said:

If it’s a real offer I would strongly consider doing it.  

Assuming a 1st from them would be protected, no???

[Br4d]

I wouldn't take a protected 1st.

 

I'd love an unprotected one.

 

The difference?  The Rangers make a good 1st round pick about once a decade at this point.  The others take years to pay dividends and there's no point to getting a real asset 5 years down the road for a real asset today.

[RJWantsTheCup]

4 hours ago, RangersIn7 said:

 

Assuming a 1st from them would be protected, no???

You would think.    

[RangersIn7]

11 hours ago, Br4d said:

I wouldn't take a protected 1st.

 

I'd love an unprotected one.

 

The difference?  The Rangers make a good 1st round pick about once a decade at this point.  The others take years to pay dividends and there's no point to getting a real asset 5 years down the road for a real asset today.

I would too. Who wouldn’t?

 

But I can’t see Chicago trading a top prospect, plus a 1st that’s potentially a 1OVA.

Reichel is an intriguing option though. Point per game in the AHL last year. Ready to jump into NHL now. 

[Pete]

Not the right player. Anyone they get back needs to push Kreider down the lineup, or they need to play the right wing. Otherwise we're back to top pick/3rd line/probably no PP time.

[RangersIn7]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

Not the right player. Anyone they get back needs to push Kreider down the lineup, or they need to play the right wing. Otherwise we're back to top pick/3rd line/probably no PP time.

Listed as LW I know.

Can he/has he played the right side?

 

If he can, then you can plug him in. 

[Br4d]

If you have your priorities right you push Kreider down to the 3rd line anyway.  It's not like his play opportunities are going to make or break the Rangers.  He's not that good.

 

Not saying he is an average player but he's not the guy you are going to ride to a cup and keeping him up in the lineup over a promising younger player is just a huge veteran's coach mistake.

 

Lafreniere - Zibanejad - Wheeler

Panarin - Chytil - Kakko

Kreider - Trocheck - Vesey

Young LW - Goodrow - Pitlick

 

Lafreniere gets two solid vets.  Chytil gets two guys feeding him.  Kakko gets Panarin.  The third line is a solid two way line that you'd be happy putting out against the opponent's 1st line.  The 4th line will be contact heavy and working hard.