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

[Pete]

8 minutes ago, Br4d said:

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.

Lafreniere isn't a promising player. Reichel might be, but I don't see him pushing Kreider.

 

He's also tiny. 

[Br4d]

3 minutes ago, Pete said:

Lafreniere isn't a promising player. Reichel might be, but I don't see him pushing Kreider.

 

He's also tiny. 

 

Lafreniere is a very promising player.  I understand that the #1OA blinders have dimmed your view on this.

 

I would suggest reviewing his past footage when he was being used appropriately as a playmaker as opposed to whatever it is the Rangers have been trying to do with him the last 3 seasons - which is definitely *not* in the role of a playmaker.

[Pete]

14 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

Lafreniere is a very promising player.  I understand that the #1OA blinders have dimmed your view on this.

 

I would suggest reviewing his past footage when he was being used appropriately as a playmaker as opposed to whatever it is the Rangers have been trying to do with him the last 3 seasons - which is definitely *not* in the role of a playmaker.

You keep saying this, but it's just wildly off base. The Rangers aren't stopping him from making plays, I don't even know what you're talking about. And frankly, he had the freedom to do whatever he wanted over the past 2 years because there was no structure and there was a bunch of freewheeling.

 

You're just completely wrong about this entire notion of the Rangers aren't "utilizing him" correctly. No one is stopping him from doing anything he was doing in junior on the offensive side of the puck. He just can't do it here because he's slow and has no time and space. 

[The Dude]

10 minutes ago, Pete said:

You keep saying this, but it's just wildly off base. The Rangers aren't stopping him from making plays, I don't even know what you're talking about. And frankly, he had the freedom to do whatever he wanted over the past 2 years because there was no structure and there was a bunch of freewheeling.

 

You're just completely wrong about this entire notion of the Rangers aren't "utilizing him" correctly. No one is stopping him from doing anything he was doing in junior on the offensive side of the puck. He just can't do it here because he's slow and has no time and space. 

[skunkman]

Any updates on Laf's conditioning?

 

are the rumors still true that he is a fat doughnut?

 

I hope not!

[siddious]

2 hours ago, skunkman said:

Any updates on Laf's conditioning?

 

are the rumors still true that he is a fat doughnut?

 

I hope not!

Rumor is he has cut out Bavarian cremes but he won’t budge on the French cruellers

[RangersIn7]

1 hour ago, siddious said:

Rumor is he has cut out Bavarian cremes but he won’t budge on the French cruellers

Can’t blame him there.

 

 

[Sod16]

Most NHL players, and stars, are not given the opportunity to develop in a hermetially sealed antiseptic environment in which they are exposed to a perfect mix of opportunities calculated to match their particular talents.   Has LaF been used perfectly, no, but his situation has been good enough.  A genuine budding star makes due with what he's given and forces his way into more.  When you talk about mismanaged young players, I think more of guys who could have been good players, not elite ones.  

[RangersIn7]

6 hours ago, Pete said:

You keep saying this, but it's just wildly off base. The Rangers aren't stopping him from making plays, I don't even know what you're talking about. And frankly, he had the freedom to do whatever he wanted over the past 2 years because there was no structure and there was a bunch of freewheeling.

 

You're just completely wrong about this entire notion of the Rangers aren't "utilizing him" correctly. No one is stopping him from doing anything he was doing in junior on the offensive side of the puck. He just can't do it here because he's slow and has no time and space. 

Don’t like his conditioning. Skating needs work. And the the skill set they talked about coming out of Junior, it hasn’t flashed all that much. I see it… but it’s almost like he’s lost out there, or lost it, or lost confidence. Forgot how to use it. How to get it working and be consistent in the NHL. 

 

Fuck dude… maybe it was never gonna be there. But I can’t make that determination yet. And as I’ve said before… that would indicate, UNIVERSALLY, that everyone was wrong, and they were so for like 2 years.

Not unprecedented… not exactly common either.

In other words… hard to believe all were wrong.

 

No one though can deny that he’s had poor and minimal coaching, which I’d say hasn’t helped.

The freewheeling thing… I don’t know how we quantify that. 
Probably a little bit of both helped and hurt him.

 

We are going to see with him.

I’m fairly confident that Laviolette will not be shy about kicking him in his ass. 

That may be precisely what he needs. 

 

Right now, he looks like what he is and how he’s basically been used, which is a 40 point, 3rd line player. A 40-point 3rd liner is actually a good player, other factors considered in terms of contributing of course. 
Now that player has value. You need good 3rd line players. 
But he’s a 1OVA- you can’t separate him from that. Even at that age and 200 games in. 
We’ve wanted more. 
It has yet to come.

We can talk reasons all we want.

Im hopeful that due to: 

A) He’s 21

B) He’s likely to get coached and pushed

C) He’ll get some more and some better opportunities

 

…. He’ll start to not only find some of himself again and learn how to translate that into NHL success. 
That’s a thing.

Guys have their ability. They do well. Then the competition gets better. So they have to learn and adjust. And coaching helps too. 

We are going to see.

 

Hes going to be here. 
 

And his ass needs to work too… which I hope he’s doing. And if not, then he’s a fucking asshole. 
 

This moment… I don’t think he sucks. I think he’s a hockey player. I think he’s improved and progressed. 
 

He’s also not been consistent. Common for a kid.

Also not been outstanding. Concerning for a 1OVA.

 

What his ceiling is, how good of a hockey player he can be… that, I don’t know.

 

I also know that we’ll all never know without some changes.

In him.

In how he’s coached.

Etc, etc, etc. 

Edited July 16, 2023 by RangersIn7

[RangersIn7]

29 minutes ago, Sod16 said:

Most NHL players, and stars, are not given the opportunity to develop in a hermetially sealed antiseptic environment in which they are exposed to a perfect mix of opportunities calculated to match their particular talents.   Has LaF been used perfectly, no, but his situation has been good enough.  A genuine budding star makes due with what he's given and forces his way into more.  When you talk about mismanaged young players, I think more of guys who could have been good players, not elite ones.  

That’s fair.

 

Though with that dinosaur behind the bench, maybe him being a 40-point 3rd line guy was precisely him making the best of it.

You gotta know they didn’t coach him much or well. And minimal practice time. 
Id imagine also there wasn’t much video time or any of that.
 

 

 But again… we’re about to find out what the deal is. 

 

 

[skunkman]

3 hours ago, siddious said:

Rumor is he has cut out Bavarian cremes but he won’t budge on the French cruellers

Than Moose needs to pound his door in and slap the bitch into working his ass off and get in shape!

[RangersIn7]

3 hours ago, skunkman said:

Than Moose needs to pound his door in and slap the bitch into working his ass off and get in shape!

Where is senior-most Ranger, team leader, alternate Captain, and fitness nut Chris Kreider?

 

Maybe stick this kid with him???

[Sharpshooter]

On paper this is the best coaching staff they've had since the Tortorella years. If they can't get through to him and if he continues to not help himself, then he is a lost cause. He seemed to be one of Gallant's biggest critics, which is fine, but he needs to put the work in too and he really hasn't. I think his skating improved marginally this past season, so that's something I guess. Plenty more work to be done though.

[Ozzy]

I posted something in the other thread, but why is this taking so long to sign this kid?

 

This deal should have been done by now....makes me think something's cooking behind the scenes, and maybe there's a deal in the making???

[RangersIn7]

33 minutes ago, Sharpshooter said:

On paper this is the best coaching staff they've had since the Tortorella years. If they can't get through to him and if he continues to not help himself, then he is a lost cause. He seemed to be one of Gallant's biggest critics, which is fine, but he needs to put the work in too and he really hasn't. I think his skating improved marginally this past season, so that's something I guess. Plenty more work to be done though.

This is the narrative.

One I agree with.

 

I don’t think we’re quite at make or break, but we are moving towards that. Fairly rapidly, and he’s finding himself with less time. 
 

Both parties need to do better and find a way.

 

Writing it off now though… too soon. 

[BrooksBurner]

23 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

I posted something in the other thread, but why is this taking so long to sign this kid?

 

This deal should have been done by now....makes me think something's cooking behind the scenes, and maybe there's a deal in the making???

I think Drury has probably made the offer. I’d have to guess there is simply no rush from Lafreniere’s side. It might mean he and his agents are seeing if any offer sheets come in, or maybe trying to squeeze a few hundred K more (he’s worth more than reported range, based on the stats), or hassle about bridge length (e.g., 1 year instead of 2 would mean arb eligible next summer in addition to cap going up - surprised Miller didn’t hard push this direction given what he signed).

[Br4d]

15 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said:

I think Drury has probably made the offer. I’d have to guess there is simply no rush from Lafreniere’s side. It might mean he and his agents are seeing if any offer sheets come in, or maybe trying to squeeze a few hundred K more (he’s worth more than reported range, based on the stats), or hassle about bridge length (e.g., 1 year instead of 2 would mean arb eligible next summer in addition to cap going up - surprised Miller didn’t hard push this direction given what he signed).

 

The negotiation is likely to take a bit longer.  I posted this last week and everybody said Drury had all the control and Laffy would take what he was given.

 

However that just isn't likely to be the whole story.

[BrooksBurner]

5 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

The negotiation is likely to take a bit longer.  I posted this last week and everybody said Drury had all the control and Laffy would take what he was given.

 

However that just isn't likely to be the whole story.

It comes down to offer sheet. I think Drury does have all of the control if Lafreniere doesn’t have that in his back pocket as an option.

[RJWantsTheCup]

I would think if an offer sheet was going to happen it would’ve already happened.  

[Scott]

1 minute ago, RJWantsTheCup said:

I would think if an offer sheet was going to happen it would’ve already happened.  

#Buzzkiller

[Br4d]

12 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said:

It comes down to offer sheet. I think Drury does have all of the control if Lafreniere doesn’t have that in his back pocket as an option.

 

This is true although Lafreniere still controls the timing.

 

It feels like the leaks earlier about the Rangers not being happy about Laffy's use of the off-season were the kind of leaks you would see if the Rangers were in the early stages of preparing the fanbase for a trade.  They weren't official because anything the Rangers say about the situation damages Laffy's trade value. 

 

Telling the world at large that you are unhappy with a player's work ethic does nothing but damage the team's position.  Telling him directly that he's not doing enough is the way to go.  Then you see what happens.

[BrooksBurner]

3 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

This is true although Lafreniere still controls the timing.

 

It feels like the leaks earlier about the Rangers not being happy about Laffy's use of the off-season were the kind of leaks you would see if the Rangers were in the early stages of preparing the fanbase for a trade.  They weren't official because anything the Rangers say about the situation damages Laffy's trade value. 

 

Telling the world at large that you are unhappy with a player's work ethic does nothing but damage the team's position.  Telling him directly that he's not doing enough is the way to go.  Then you see what happens.

The timing doesn’t mean much if he never gets an offer sheet. He could threaten a hold out, but that’s a lot more damaging to him than to the Rangers.

 

I’m not sure how to interpret the supposed “leak”. It was more or less a passing one liner in an article about a much larger topic by Staple. Thrown in like a meaningless afterthought.

[Br4d]

1 minute ago, BrooksBurner said:

The timing doesn’t mean much if he never gets an offer sheet. He could threaten a hold out, but that’s a lot more damaging to him than to the Rangers.

 

I’m not sure how to interpret the supposed “leak”. It was more or less a passing one liner in an article about a much larger topic by Staple. Thrown in like a meaningless afterthought.

 

If the Rangers and Laffy ever get to the point that a holdout is in the works it increases the chances somebody will make an offer.  Part of the sparsity of offer sheets is that it is collectively better for the teams not to make that route a real option for players coming off their ELC.  Real conflict between the parties lessens the pressures on everybody to just take the easy route and get to the usual conclusion.

[BrooksBurner]

5 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

If the Rangers and Laffy ever get to the point that a holdout is in the works it increases the chances somebody will make an offer.  Part of the sparsity of offer sheets is that it is collectively better for the teams not to make that route a real option for players coming off their ELC.  Real conflict between the parties lessens the pressures on everybody to just take the easy route and get to the usual conclusion.

That’s fair. Delaying the signing significantly certainly is a way to tell the team and the league you aren’t happy without publicly saying it (potentially inducing offer sheets, as you mention, or even trade calls to Drury).

Edited July 17, 2023 by BrooksBurner

[Pete]

1 hour ago, Br4d said:

 

This is true although Lafreniere still controls the timing.

 

It feels like the leaks earlier about the Rangers not being happy about Laffy's use of the off-season were the kind of leaks you would see if the Rangers were in the early stages of preparing the fanbase for a trade.  They weren't official because anything the Rangers say about the situation damages Laffy's trade value. 

 

Telling the world at large that you are unhappy with a player's work ethic does nothing but damage the team's position.  Telling him directly that he's not doing enough is the way to go.  Then you see what happens.

How does it damage the team's position? How do we know they haven't told him directly. Maybe the info going public is because they're been saying it for 3 years now, and nothing is different.