BrooksBurner Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 This kid is oozing skill out of the gate. We know he can put it in the net based on goal production in the previous two seasons, but the playmaking plays he made last night are what I was expecting from year one. I honestly can’t recall him making a better pass than either of the two he made last night for goals. Threading needles. Also, thrown on the right due to Kravtsov/Blais injuries and he looked amazing. He made it look like his natural position. One game, but one game can tell a lot after watching the kid for two years. Has he arrived? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 I think he arrived in the second half of last season and even more so in the playoffs. I could say the same for Kakko and Chytil as well. They've basically taken what they learned from that, and enhanced themselves. That was beautiful to watch last night. 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Sure seems it. This is why I've been clamoring to get him to right-wing. It's not just to fill a void, it's because he's shown a real chemistry playing with other high-skill players. It just works. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Jinx thread after 2 games? lol He arrived during last season's playoffs. Now he needs to be consistent and show that he can do it for an entire season. Playing him on the 2nd line gives him more ice time, more possession of the puck when he's on the ice, increases his point tally and most likely his confidence aswell. I really hope they keep him there and just lets the kid work. Give him more PK and PP time too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 That's my boy out there!!! You can simply refer to him as "Yukon"! LOL No really....I'm loving watching this kid grow into a good NHL player! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrooksBurner Posted October 14, 2022 Author Share Posted October 14, 2022 17 minutes ago, Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc said: Jinx thread after 2 games? lol He arrived during last season's playoffs. Now he needs to be consistent and show that he can do it for an entire season. Playing him on the 2nd line gives him more ice time, more possession of the puck when he's on the ice, increases his point tally and most likely his confidence aswell. I really hope they keep him there and just lets the kid work. Give him more PK and PP time too. It’s 2 games, but like you said it’s a continuation of improvement that he started to establish since around January. However, I maintain that I really can’t recall two better passes from him in 2 seasons of play. If he has, they’ve been few and far between and more easily forgotten. We’ve got two of them in a game here. He was billed as a tremendous playmaker with excellent vision at draft time, and those two passes were big league. The one to Panarin in particular. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 3 minutes ago, rmc51 said: It’s 2 games, but like you said it’s a continuation of improvement that he started to establish since around January. However, I maintain that I really can’t recall two better passes from him in 2 seasons of play. If he has, they’ve been few and far between and more easily forgotten. We’ve got two of them in a game here. He was billed as a tremendous playmaker with excellent vision at draft time, and those two passes were big league. The one to Panarin in particular. I remember a couple nice assists, but as you said - few and far between. He looks to be putting it all together right now, finally. Hopefully GG keeps him with Panarin and just lets him play. A couple more games like this and I think his confidence will take him a long way. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangersIn7 Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Honestly the kid needed a bit of time to grow some and learn and now he just needs ice time and the opportunity to play with players of corresponding skill 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 45 minutes ago, Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc said: Jinx thread after 2 games? lol He arrived during last season's playoffs. Now he needs to be consistent and show that he can do it for an entire season. Playing him on the 2nd line gives him more ice time, more possession of the puck when he's on the ice, increases his point tally and most likely his confidence aswell. I really hope they keep him there and just lets the kid work. Give him more PK and PP time too. Nah, no such thing. The player is clearly progressing. Yes, it's early in this season, but it's not as though the player has played just two NHL games. He's entering his third NHL season. He's taking big steps forward, even if this season's sample size is small. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 It's pretty obvious the Minnesota defense was atrocious last night. That's not a knock on Laf, he's making good plays, but it's impossible to judge based on last night, which were the proof points in the OP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 All I know is I'm sitting here counting the hours and minutes to game time, when I can see these guys go at it again. I'm absolutely loving this so far! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 5 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said: Honestly the kid needed a bit of time to grow some and learn and now he just needs ice time and the opportunity to play with players of corresponding skill This is the key, to me. I think it's why he seemingly broke out in the playoffs with the "Kid Line." Long gone are the days of him lining up with Stone Hands Gauthier and the shittiest version of Filip Chytil, and whoever the hell else he was stuck playing with his rookie year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 (edited) 8 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said: Honestly the kid needed a bit of time to grow some and learn and now he just needs ice time and the opportunity to play with players of corresponding skill I'm all for this...I think 7 has this pegged! EDIT: ...and of course, the boss beat me to it!! LOL Edited October 14, 2022 by Ozzy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 4 minutes ago, Phil said: Nah, no such thing. The player is clearly progressing. Yes, it's early in this season, but it's not as though the player has played just two NHL games. He's entering his third NHL season. He's taking big steps forward, even if this season's sample size is small. If that was an answer to the "jinx" thing that was just a joke lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valriera Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 He arrived back half of last season and made it stand up with his play in the playoffs. I'm not surprised at all by last night, that's an expectation of a first overall draft pick. Where I will be surprised is his ceiling bc Laf has things that a lot of players don't, specifically his willingness to get dirty. I love that about him, always have, and if he can figure out the production side of the game he's on track to be a bigger Brad Marchand, which would be amazing for this team. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrooksBurner Posted October 14, 2022 Author Share Posted October 14, 2022 1 minute ago, Ozzy said: I'm all for this...I think 7 has this pegged! Noice. I love a good pegging 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Just now, rmc51 said: Noice. I love a good pegging Yeah me too, RMC!! I'm waiting for tonight, when we WIN-a- peg... Oh that's bad...sorry!! LOL 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJWantsTheCup Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 His stomach arrived 3 yrs ago but his talent started to show last January. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 5 minutes ago, Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc said: If that was an answer to the "jinx" thing that was just a joke lol. It was, and I figured you were saying it tongue-in-cheek, but I still think the rest applies. I can't look at this as a "small sample" size because it's directly connected to the progress we've seen from him dating back to all of last season plus playoffs. If the question is "has he arrived?" my answer is leaning more and more toward "yes!" 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 He upgraded from Dunkin' Donuts to Krispy Kreme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long live the King Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 43 minutes ago, Phil said: This is the key, to me. I think it's why he seemingly broke out in the playoffs with the "Kid Line." Long gone are the days of him lining up with Stone Hands Gauthier and the shittiest version of Filip Chytil, and whoever the hell else he was stuck playing with his rookie year. This. I feel like he's had a lot of great setups that got Gauthiered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangersIn7 Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 44 minutes ago, Phil said: This is the key, to me. I think it's why he seemingly broke out in the playoffs with the "Kid Line." Long gone are the days of him lining up with Stone Hands Gauthier and the shittiest version of Filip Chytil, and whoever the hell else he was stuck playing with his rookie year. I think he was always going to struggle some through that 1st season. Especially given his place in the pecking order at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 48 minutes ago, Phil said: This is the key, to me. I think it's why he seemingly broke out in the playoffs with the "Kid Line." Long gone are the days of him lining up with Stone Hands Gauthier and the shittiest version of Filip Chytil, and whoever the hell else he was stuck playing with his rookie year. There's a little bit of revisionist history going on here... He was absolutely brutal in his first season and it had nothing to do with his line mates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 22 minutes ago, Pete said: There's a little bit of revisionist history going on here... He was absolutely brutal in his first season and it had nothing to do with his line mates. I don't agree. I mean, I do that he was absolutely brutal. Same with Kakko. If you recall, I was relentless about how both of them needed to be in the AHL. Lafreniere simply couldn't go due to silly bylaws, but clearly wasn't ready. Neither was Kakko, who was arguably the worst forward in the entire NHL his rookie year. But Laf's linemates were undoubtedly a component in all of this. When you're a skilled player now playing with a bad center on a third line with a non-NHL winger, never seeing the PP, you're being set up to fail. I don't think there's any coincidence that as Chytil has improved, and the team have finally given up on the Gauthier experiment, that Lafreniere has gotten better. To what degree I'm sure we could argue over, but to dismiss the quality of who you play with as entirely inconsequential to the ability of a player to produce or not is a bridge too far for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 27 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said: I think he was always going to struggle some through that 1st season. Especially given his place in the pecking order at that time. Probably, yeah. Plus, look at the team at the time. Lots of other rookies and young players who were just as bad, if not worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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