Brooks Alexis Lafreniere's Finishing Touch Has Evaporated in Growing Rangers Problem

[Scott]

5 minutes ago, jsm7302 said:

The Whit dog!! 

 

He isn't wrong! Laf could turn into JT Miller. It is possible.

 

Kakko had a sweet shift last night where he dummyed some defenders and then made a sick pass while falling down but unfortunately it wasn't converted. Still have hope he is more than he is now eventually.

He did make that one play, it was hard to tell for me and I didn't go back and watch it but wasn't the pass he threw out of that move and towards the crease well off the ice? No sauce intended just did whatever he could to fling it towards the net, right idea. If I'm wrong I apologize profusely for the one play. I'll stand by another 300+ games and wait.

 

@BrooksBurner “Luh-fren-ē-ay” is right in the same ballpark as Laugh, Yukon, Fatty, Loaf etc.

Edited February 29 by Scott

[phillyb]

16 minutes ago, jsm7302 said:

The Whit dog!! 

 

He isn't wrong! Laf could turn into JT Miller. It is possible.

 

Kakko had a sweet shift last night where he dummyed some defenders and then made a sick pass while falling down but unfortunately it wasn't converted. Still have hope he is more than he is now eventually.

 

jfc, if we get jt miller after they traded away jt miller, i'd be so happy lol

[Pete]

The shortsightedness on Kakko is real, my lord. 

 

Just more recency bias, more people determine the value of a player based on their worst season.

 

Mind boggling. 

[Ozzy]

Laff=Good!  I'm so glad he's coming around.

[BrooksBurner]

20 minutes ago, Pete said:

The shortsightedness on Kakko is real, my lord. 

 

Just more recency bias, more people determine the value of a player based on their worst season.

 

Mind boggling. 

I think he’s just looking at the boxcar stats. How does he not know how to pronounce the name of a player he’s about to hype in Lafreniere? It only takes one game to hear pronunciation. So Kakko stinks? Yeah, if you look at hockey-reference. Watch the games. We want more but he doesn’t stink whatsoever.

[Pete]

3 hours ago, BrooksBurner said:

I think he’s just looking at the boxcar stats. How does he not know how to pronounce the name of a player he’s about to hype in Lafreniere? It only takes one game to hear pronunciation. So Kakko stinks? Yeah, if you look at hockey-reference. Watch the games. We want more but he doesn’t stink whatsoever.

Oh yeah Whitney doesn't watch the Rangers unless they're playing the Bruins. 

 

But even by our users lol. You'd think Kakko's last season (where he took strides forward) never happened and this season (where he took strides back) is the only season that matters. It's not, every game is more experienced. We've already seen he can be better than he is. He hasn't played his best hockey. 

 

Lafreniere should have taught us all about a lesson in patience that we didn't learn from JT Miller. 

[Scott]

41 minutes ago, Pete said:

Oh yeah Whitney doesn't watch the Rangers unless they're playing the Bruins. 

 

But even by our users lol. You'd think Kakko's last season (where he took strides forward) never happened and this season (where he took strides back) is the only season that matters. It's not, every game is more experienced. We've already seen he can be better than he is. He hasn't played his best hockey. 

 

Lafreniere should have taught us all about a lesson in patience that we didn't learn from JT Miller. 

Our user here:

 

It's about Kakko's entire body of work not how he may have been "better" last year. The bar was incredibly low going in to last year based on the prior 3 seasons (notwithstanding the  5-7 game streak in 21-22). By the end of last year he had played himself out of the lineup in the last playoff game. I would hardly call that much of a step forward in the end. The expectations (maybe hope is a better word) not only by most here but others around the league was he was do to take a meaningful step forward this year, he hasn't. He had a great attitude after being benched in the last game, worked hard coming in etc. He's shown no signs of taking that step. Injury is noted but he was the same third liner good on the wall where more often than not where nothing happens consistently throughout. 

 

Thank god he hasn't played his best hockey, that's encouraging. I also don't think wanting more from him is the least bit unfair to him.  IF they can find a team that sees him as a valuable piece in a trade especially a trade that isn't for a straight up rental I would do it.  I don't think he would be a hard guy to replace. On a team that desperately needs help at RW he's come up short and he's a big part of why that top 6 RW gap exists.

 

For every JT Miller and Mika there's exponentially more who never take that huge quantum leap forward.  Assuming he stays healthy (hopefully) he'll have about 350 games in after this season. So for me it's not a snapshot of recency bias. It's career to date bias.

 

Good news is all teams need 3rd liners so they'll always be a spot for him in the league.

 

If we disagree, great. Cheers. As long as he is here I certainly hope he begins to move the needle in some kind of meaningful way.

[Pete]

13 minutes ago, Scott said:

Our user here:

 

It's about Kakko's entire body of work not how he may have been "better" last year. The bar was incredibly low going in to last year based on the prior 3 seasons (notwithstanding the  5-7 game streak in 21-22). By the end of last year he had played himself out of the lineup in the last playoff game. I would hardly call that much of a step forward in the end. The expectations (maybe hope is a better word) not only by most here but others around the league was he was do to take a meaningful step forward this year, he hasn't. He had a great attitude after being benched in the last game, worked hard coming in etc. He's shown no signs of taking that step. Injury is noted but he was the same third liner good on the wall where more often than not where nothing happens consistently throughout. 

 

Thank god he hasn't played his best hockey, that's encouraging. I also don't think wanting more from him is the least bit unfair to him.  IF they can find a team that sees him as a valuable piece in a trade especially a trade that isn't for a straight up rental I would do it.  I don't think he would be a hard guy to replace. On a team that desperately needs help at RW he's come up short and he's a big part of why that top 6 RW gap exists.

 

For every JT Miller and Mika there's exponentially more who never take that huge quantum leap forward.  Assuming he stays healthy (hopefully) he'll have about 350 games in after this season. So for me it's not a snapshot of recency bias. It's career to date bias.

 

Good news is all teams need 3rd liners so they'll always be a spot for him in the league.

 

If we disagree, great. Cheers. As long as he is here I certainly hope he begins to move the needle in some kind of meaningful way.

[Scott]

Hell yeah - I've given him credit throughout this season for being better. He's also still on a crazy pace to score 50 points with 23 goals this season while playing with a premier player in the league who's also raised Trochek play to another level. 

 

Laf has been a better player this season no doubt. His numbers would be higher if he could finish on a regular bases, can he figure it out, yes to what degree its TBD. I also seem to remember even you saying I wonder what he would do playing on a different line than Panarin. Guess we'll see what his next 300 games brings.

[Pete]

33 minutes ago, Scott said:

Hell yeah - I've given him credit throughout this season for being better. He's also still on a crazy pace to score 50 points with 23 goals this season while playing with a premier player in the league who's also raised Trochek play to another level. 

 

Laf has been a better player this season no doubt. His numbers would be higher if he could finish on a regular bases, can he figure it out, yes to what degree its TBD. I also seem to remember even you saying I wonder what he would do playing on a different line than Panarin. Guess we'll see what his next 300 games brings.

Yea, it's almost like development takes more than 300 games. Curious how you decided that that was the number that told everybody "this is all you'll ever be".

 

I already listed the number of players who didn't break out until they were 25 or 26. But here you are trying to dunk on 23-year-olds. I guess whatever makes you happy buddy. 

 

 

[Scott]

2 hours ago, Pete said:

Yea, it's almost like development takes more than 300 games. Curious how you decided that that was the number that told everybody "this is all you'll ever be".

 

I already listed the number of players who didn't break out until they were 25 or 26. But here you are trying to dunk on 23-year-olds. I guess whatever makes you happy buddy. 

 

 

lol.

 

Never said that's all either will ever be but to discard 300 games as not a significant sample size or worse yet recency bias is odd.  I happen to think Kakko's ceiling is much lower and if you can move him for an asset and not a rental I would do it.  I think like I said before Laf while he's taken some steps forward for sure he benefits greatly from his linemate(s).  I also think Laf benefits some because he's not Kakko so things could be worse. I guess it's awful to come into the league with expectations (not ones I just randomly made up on my own), what a horrible, cruel way to dunk on somebody.

 

How long is that list of guys breaking out at 25-26 compared to those guys that don't suddenly break out after ~7 years in the league? Odds are those that do are more of an exception than the rule, no?

 

Again buddy I don't want to see anybody fail while they're on the ice for my fav team going back to before a good number of you were even born. My first and foremost hope was 1OA and 2OA were tremendous adds and could be counted on as major contributors and then cornerstones for years to come. Laf has shown he may be onto something there while being paired with Bread.  Kakko has not. Remember less than 12 months ago when you were saying Laf has shown nothing at all to make you think he had "it".  We're not on a no dunking allowed forum. 

 

As long as Kakko is here be in 2 more games or ten years I hope he grows into something he hasn't remotely shown consistent signs of.

[Pete]

1 hour ago, Scott said:

lol.

 

Never said that's all either will ever be but to discard 300 games as not a significant sample size or worse yet recency bias is odd.  I happen to think Kakko's ceiling is much lower and if you can move him for an asset and not a rental I would do it.  I think like I said before Laf while he's taken some steps forward for sure he benefits greatly from his linemate(s).  I also think Laf benefits some because he's not Kakko so things could be worse. I guess it's awful to come into the league with expectations (not ones I just randomly made up on my own), what a horrible, cruel way to dunk on somebody.

 

How long is that list of guys breaking out at 25-26 compared to those guys that don't suddenly break out after ~7 years in the league? Odds are those that do are more of an exception than the rule, no?

 

Again buddy I don't want to see anybody fail while they're on the ice for my fav team going back to before a good number of you were even born. My first and foremost hope was 1OA and 2OA were tremendous adds and could be counted on as major contributors and then cornerstones for years to come. Laf has shown he may be onto something there while being paired with Bread.  Kakko has not. Remember less than 12 months ago when you were saying Laf has shown nothing at all to make you think he had "it".  We're not on a no dunking allowed forum. 

 

As long as Kakko is here be in 2 more games or ten years I hope he grows into something he hasn't remotely shown consistent signs of.

Well my point is that Lafreniere has taught everyone about patience. Anybody who didn't learn that, well okay.

 

Kakko has progressed every year in the league until this one where he was really bad and then he was injured and then he played a lot better. If you don't see progress, I don't know what to tell you, because a lot of people were picking him to be the breakout this season, and not Laf. 

 

A player that doesn't meet your specific expectations at 23 does not equal a bad player. If he becomes the player at 25 that you wanted him to be at 21, what's the difference? We are where we are.

 

Sounds like a lot of complaining just for the sake of complaining. 

[Valriera]

Prolly should fix the thread title 

[Ozzy]

14 hours ago, Valriera said:

Prolly should fix the thread title 

 

I'd vote for closing it, Val.  The Kid's good!