Time for a Lafreniere Reset

[Pete]

Lafreniere played just under 10 minutes last night, lowest on the team. He registered no shot attempts. He has no SOG in the last 5 games and his ice time has decreased.

I can't understand why he's not in the AHL right now. Too good for JR, not good enough for NHL...If only there was an in-between league where he could develop...

They are just making this worse by keeping him up here.

[Morphinity 2.0]

Next stop Hartford at this point. 

[Dunny]

Hard to rebute this in any way, other than in the case of Lafreniere and Kakko, the tail seems to be wagging the dog. 

Corporate will likely weigh the PR aspect against just letting it ride, and my money would be on them just letting it ride. 

[Pete]

15 minutes ago, Dunny said:

Corporate will likely weigh the PR aspect against just letting it ride, and my money would be on them just letting it ride. 

Unfortunately this is what's happening. 

[josh]

Needs a competent center. 

[Pete]

14 minutes ago, josh said:

Needs a competent center. 

That has nothing to do with his inability to do anything when he has the puck.

He should be driving the play and he's just invisible. 

Linemates are a convenient excuse at this point. 

[Phil]

49 minutes ago, Dunny said:

Hard to rebute this in any way, other than in the case of Lafreniere and Kakko, the tail seems to be wagging the dog. 

Corporate will likely weigh the PR aspect against just letting it ride, and my money would be on them just letting it ride. 

100%. Sunk cost fallacy in a lot of ways. Even though other players -- even first-rounders like Kreider -- weren't immune from going to the AHL. They sent him down in his third season, in fact.

[Phil]

19 minutes ago, Pete said:

That has nothing to do with his inability to do anything when he has the puck.

He should be driving the play and he's just invisible. 

Linemates are a convenient excuse at this point. 

Especially when it's so easily debunked. He's played with top-six players, like Kakko, nearly the entire time he's been here. Especially this season thus far.

At what point is the player responsible for his lack of any discernible impact?

[Albatrosss]

Send him to KHL. Just look at Kravtsov 

[Keirik]

Alf will pot two today. 

[Scott]

After stepping up his off season training I just don't get it. 

 

[siddious]

I’ve been saying AHL for weeks now. Every game he’s not there for his potential is ruined that much more. The rangers can never do the right thing with their prospects. 

[Pete]

37 minutes ago, Keirik said:

Alf will pot two today. 

He can pot 7! It's the Devils haha. 

He's still been awful. 

[Pete]

2 minutes ago, jsrangers said:

After stepping up his off season training I just don't get it. 

 

His off-season training was at Krispy Kreme, and boy he went hard. 

[Valriera]

I think this is easier once chytil gets back because he goes right into third line, but the question I ask is if that’s really better than playing mckegg? I don’t know. I think I’d rather laf here until then because mckegg is just not a top 9 forward and I don’t want to break up our very effective fourth line.

[josh]

2 hours ago, Phil said:

Especially when it's so easily debunked. He's played with top-six players, like Kakko, nearly the entire time he's been here. Especially this season thus far.

At what point is the player responsible for his lack of any discernible impact?

He was producing in the top 6.

He had the most ES points and ES goals through the first weeks. Move with Chytil- nothing (which is a common theme) and Goodrow, who is a 4th line center.

[Scott]

Serious question weren't 2 of his early 3 season goals tap ins where he has dished absolutely perfect passes on the tape for tap in essentially into an empty net. I give him full credit for getting into that position and going hard to the net I remember one being on the rush for a GWG? 

Point being though for me anyway there was no wow what a move - hell yeah, it was more, holy crap what a pass and almost anybody could of and should of finished that. Similar to Kreider just needing to have his stick on the ice for Zib to hit last night.  Now beggars can't be choosers but I think the numbers early in were a little misleading he was still lost which is so concerning. Maybe less lost so there was that.

[josh]

Now do Kreiders goals.

[josh]

With Goodrow, he's been quiet. The entire line has been pretty worthless. Even with Chytil,  he was setting guys up. They didn't finish. 

Is he in a spot to be successful? I don't think anyone can answer an honest yes.

[Keirik]

AHL plays through the Olympic break right? I think what you do is keep him up until a week or so prior to that break. Send him down for some games and a new perspective and hope he comes back refreshed after some confidence building games 

[josh]

I think you give him a game off, first.

I'd like to see some of the kids rest during the Olympic break. You can't expect him to play 82 NHL games and 6 - 10 ahl games during a season.

[Pete]

I don't understand the aversion to the AHL. It's literally what the league is there for. I'd play him in the AHL before sitting him up here.

[josh]

What has Hartford done, ever 

Might as well waive the guy.

[Pete]

Ask Zac Jones. 

[Sod16]

With just about any other player I'd say send him to Hartford, but the problem is that it would be a huge national story in Canada, especially Quebec, as he was the first French Canadian skater to go No. 1 in a long time.  It would be such a distraction and big deal that I don't think he could make good use of it.