confirmed: Alexis Lafreniere is a New York Ranger!

[CaptainMorganBarron]

So because you don't understand it, he doesn't know what he's talking about? The entry that you posted is from the same blog, the Malkin comparison supports your narrative, so that writer does know what he's talking about? They're pretty much the same production wise.

 

He's got more value to Nashville because they have nothing on the wing, and we are loaded on the left wing. Johansen has more value to us if we decide we need a center. We're taking on salary, so we move up in the draft.

 

those are really weak arguments.

[BrooksBurner]

Seems like a rather useless ‘comparison’ then if the point was only to say expectations are that he will be at the tier below McDavid.

 

Hughes was going to compensate for being smaller with his incredible edge work and vision.

 

Pronman has Laf 4th in his prospect rankings of the last 5 years. Byfield is 6th and Kakko is 7th. Just based on when they were draft eligible and nothing to do with what happened in the NHL after they were drafted. For what it is worth.

 

You got a link for the 5 year rankings by Pronman? I couldn't find it.

[Vodka Drunkenski]

I don't see trading assets that are either NHL players or close to it in order to trade up from Car's 1st to wait 3 years for a question mark like Lundell. I think if they trade that pick it will be to improve the current roster immediately.

 

You've got Lafreniere incoming which should be a nice jolt, and there's an opportunity here to improve it that much more with the right deal. Guys like Cirelli and Sergachev, I'd be down with that. Let's screw Tampa over for once.

 

I?m fine with that too. I don?t care who or how it?s done, but we agree that packaging the later pick for help is the play to be made, not trading 1st overall.

[tphilly5]

You got a link for the 5 year rankings by Pronman? I couldn't find it.

 

 

https://theathletic.com/1797661/2020/06/23/pronman-top-31-nhl-draft-prospects-of-the-past-five-years-2020-edition/

 

It is an Athletic piece so you need a subscription

[Drew a Penalty]

There was the same hype about Hughes. It was the Hughes draft for years. He was putting up Gretzky like numbers.

 

So the point is that Laf certainly has the talent and skills of Kane because they had similar numbers? Kane is 5’10” and 175. Laf is 6’1” and will be over 200. Kane is a sniper first, Laf seems to be a playmaker first.

 

I think (hope) Laf will be a great pick. He seems to have a lot more intangibles that recent Rangers picks have been missing. We need some fire and enthusiasm.

 

Nope. Hughes was always significantly more of a question mark. One of the worst decisions Hughes made was staying with the USNTDP in his draft season. It was unprecedented for a player of his caliber. His size and ability to compete against older and stronger players were always in question and yet he did nothing to combat that narrative. He stayed in a league where the level of play never challenged him. He put up record numbers because there had never been a first overall pick that chose to stick with the USNTDP in his draft year.

 

Lafreniere doesn't compare. As much as I like the USHL as a developmental league, it's wildly inconsistent. The top teams are good while the bad teams are bad. They're filled with high school kids that are experiencing their first crack at hockey better than high school leagues. The QMJHL, despite it's own issues as a league, is still a higher overall league than the USHL on the whole. Lafreniere also plays a game that's translatable to the NHL. He's willing to power through people in addition to using his puckhandling skills to cut through them. Hughes' strength was dipsy-doodling around his competition. You don't get the space that Hughes was used to in the NHL.

[Drew a Penalty]

https://theathletic.com/1797661/2020/06/23/pronman-top-31-nhl-draft-prospects-of-the-past-five-years-2020-edition/

 

It is an Athletic piece so you need a subscription

 

He also has Svechnikov below Puljujarvi. I respect Pronman's work, but the dude has some awful opinions.

[Flynn]

He also has Svechnikov below Puljujarvi. I respect Pronman's work, but the dude has some awful opinions.

 

A guy missed om some prospect calls.. stop the presses!!!!

[Drew a Penalty]

A guy missed om some prospect calls.. stop the presses!!!!

 

Or we should just accept his analysis as an opinion albeit one that has few comparables. It's almost like have a wealth of information is better than using one source.

[LindG1000]

He also has Svechnikov below Puljujarvi. I respect Pronman's work, but the dude has some awful opinions.

 

He's making those decisions based on how they were evaluated as prospects/at the time of the draft. Puljujarvi was considered a can't miss prospect at the time of the draft - so much so that Edmonton was dumbfounded when he fell to 4 and Kekelainen was burnt at the stake for taking Dubois over him.

[Gravesy]

He also has Svechnikov below Puljujarvi. I respect Pronman's work, but the dude has some awful opinions.

 

To be fair, that list is based on his grading of each player in their draft year, not what has happened since.

[Drew a Penalty]

To be fair, that list is based on his grading of each player in their draft year, not what has happened since.

 

And that still doesn't change my opinion...Puljujarvi had his detractors going into his draft. On level with the bust expectation that he has now? Not at all, but he had already displayed his Yakupov-like tendencies. My issue stems mostly with Pronman's method for ranking. He cites an article with how he rates defenseman, but he also released another piece in which he details his full method

[BrooksBurner]

https://theathletic.com/1797661/2020/06/23/pronman-top-31-nhl-draft-prospects-of-the-past-five-years-2020-edition/

 

It is an Athletic piece so you need a subscription

 

Thanks. I have the Athletic sub so I'll take a look

[Puck Head]

Nope. Hughes was always significantly more of a question mark. One of the worst decisions Hughes made was staying with the USNTDP in his draft season. It was unprecedented for a player of his caliber. His size and ability to compete against older and stronger players were always in question and yet he did nothing to combat that narrative. He stayed in a league where the level of play never challenged him. He put up record numbers because there had never been a first overall pick that chose to stick with the USNTDP in his draft year.

 

Lafreniere doesn't compare. As much as I like the USHL as a developmental league, it's wildly inconsistent. The top teams are good while the bad teams are bad. They're filled with high school kids that are experiencing their first crack at hockey better than high school leagues. The QMJHL, despite it's own issues as a league, is still a higher overall league than the USHL on the whole. Lafreniere also plays a game that's translatable to the NHL. He's willing to power through people in addition to using his puckhandling skills to cut through them. Hughes' strength was dipsy-doodling around his competition. You don't get the space that Hughes was used to in the NHL.

 

I?d have to disagree.

The talent level across the USHL is much tighter than any CHL team. And although the USHL typically doesn?t have the generational Canadian talents (one person team), players 10-20 on a roster are stronger than any CHL team.

 

Also, the USHL pulls kids out of u15 and u15 AAA hockey, just like the CHL

 

 

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[Drew a Penalty]

I’d have to disagree.

The talent level across the USHL is much tighter than any CHL team. And although the USHL typically doesn’t have the generational Canadian talents (one person team), players 10-20 on a roster are stronger than any CHL team.

 

Also, the USHL pulls kids out of u15 and u15 AAA hockey, just like the CHL

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

 

We've had this discussion before, and I don't think we're gonna find common ground. I love the USHL as a developmental league, but I can't agree on the quality of the teams. Some of the top USHL teams are on par with CHL teams, but that's not consistent throughout.

[Dunny]

It's pretty simple, if the USHL is as good as the CHL, then the NCAA should remove the embargo on CHL players, no? Seems only fair!

[tphilly5]

Nope. Hughes was always significantly more of a question mark. One of the worst decisions Hughes made was staying with the USNTDP in his draft season. It was unprecedented for a player of his caliber. His size and ability to compete against older and stronger players were always in question and yet he did nothing to combat that narrative. He stayed in a league where the level of play never challenged him. He put up record numbers because there had never been a first overall pick that chose to stick with the USNTDP in his draft year.

 

Lafreniere doesn't compare. As much as I like the USHL as a developmental league, it's wildly inconsistent. The top teams are good while the bad teams are bad. They're filled with high school kids that are experiencing their first crack at hockey better than high school leagues. The QMJHL, despite it's own issues as a league, is still a higher overall league than the USHL on the whole. Lafreniere also plays a game that's translatable to the NHL. He's willing to power through people in addition to using his puckhandling skills to cut through them. Hughes' strength was dipsy-doodling around his competition. You don't get the space that Hughes was used to in the NHL.

 

Based on the number of early players taken from the USNTDP it wouldn?t appear that NHL teams shared your concerns with that level of competition. As I recall Hughes was the #1 for his draft class a few years before the draft and there were not many people that felt he was a question mark.

 

Hopefully LAF has an faster adjustment given his size, ability to speak the language, and familiarity with the rink size.

[CaptainMorganBarron]

so how would you feel if this trade happened?:

 

2nd overall + Akil Thomas + Kupari(or some other good prospect) + 2nd rounder for 1st overall + Lias Andersson + Gauthier

[Drew a Penalty]

Based on the number of early players taken from the USNTDP it wouldn’t appear that NHL teams shared your concerns with that level of competition. As I recall Hughes was the #1 for his draft class a few years before the draft and there were not many people that felt he was a question mark.

 

Hopefully LAF has an faster adjustment given his size, ability to speak the language, and familiarity with the rink size.

 

Emphasis on it was unprecedented for a player of his caliber. There's never been a top forward pick that came from the USNTDP. The only top pick to ever come from the USNTDP was Erik Johnson. How'd that turn out?

[Drew a Penalty]

so how would you feel if this trade happened?:

 

2nd overall + Akil Thomas + Kupari(or some other good prospect) + 2nd rounder for 1st overall + Lias Andersson + Gauthier

 

Reposting the same proposal over and over again isn't going to make it click.

[Keirik]

so how would you feel if this trade happened?:

 

2nd overall + Akil Thomas + Kupari(or some other good prospect) + 2nd rounder for 1st overall + Lias Andersson + Gauthier

 

I’d feel about the same if I had eaten 3 day old gas station sushi

[tphilly5]

Emphasis on it was unprecedented for a player of his caliber. There's never been a top forward pick that came from the USNTDP. The only top pick to ever come from the USNTDP was Erik Johnson. How'd that turn out?

 

It seemed like half the first round came from that team last year. They were so loaded that the practices must have been great developmental opportunities.

 

First you say Hughes had all these question marks, then you are surprised a player of that caliber played on the USNTDP.

 

Heading into the drafts any difference in expectations between Hughes, Kakko, and Laf is just splitting hairs.

[Drew a Penalty]

First you say Hughes had all these question marks, then you are surprised a player of that caliber played on the USNTDP.

 

Yeah, you're just misinterpreting. Hughes is talented, but he was always considered undersized. He was undersized going into his rookie season. His skating and passing ability were undeniable, but there were legitimate question marks whether staying with USNTDP was the right choice. I'm not the first one to state this opinion. It was a common thought. After his dominance in his D-2 with the USNTDP, it was questioned whether staying there was really the right choice when he could potentially move on to face more physical and talented competition. He didn't. It didn't stop him from being first overall but it certainly caused many to have tempered expectations going into his rookie season. For many, his struggles this season were none too surprising. Why do you think there was the belief that Kakko had closed the gap on him? Kakko played a physical brand of hockey in the Liiga. Unfortunately, he has nowhere near Hughes' skating and was deficient in the NHL for entirely the opposite reason of Hughes.

 

So yeah. I know what I said.

[RangersIn7]

Wherever he’s ranked amongst other guys over the last 10-15 years and who he’s comparable too aside, LaFreniere is clearly the best prospect in this draft, and by a fair margin. His ceiling is incredibly high. There are few question marks in his game, and they are small. There is very little uncertainty with him. He’s far and away the best and safest pick in this draft. And there’s no true consensus about who is number 2 between Byfield and Stutzle.

 

Like some other guys who’ve had several years of hype approaching their draft year, he’s been watched intensely and his game and skill set have been scrutinized heavily, and none of the appraisals, opinions or projections regarding him have changed. At all.

[Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc]

so how would you feel if this trade happened?:

 

2nd overall + Akil Thomas + Kupari(or some other good prospect) + 2nd rounder for 1st overall + Lias Andersson + Gauthier

 

You really want this trade to happen I see.

 

To answer the question; I dont like it, Gorton will not like it, LA wont propose it and the pick will not be traded.

 

 

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[CaptainMorganBarron]

You really want this trade to happen I see.

 

To answer the question; I dont like it, Gorton will not like it, LA wont propose it and the pick will not be traded.

 

 

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I would not mind it as the least possible return. I think it makes sense for both teams.