When the first and second overall picks in the draft aren't being developed properly, there is a lot to complain about. That's because Strome is gone after this year. Panarin and Kreider are going to decline sooner than later. If you don't have these two kids carrying your offense soon, you're fucked.
Lafreniere has 17 goals this season, pretty darn solid in his 2nd season. He also leads the team in even strength goals over the past 2 seasons. How isn't he being developed properly by two coaches, because he isn't on PP1? As for Kakko, the kid has been hurt a lot in 3 seasons. He has been given chances to play in the top 6, and has not stepped up yet (I say yet because I am sure he will over time). Again, how isn't he being developed properly by two coaches, because he isn't on PP1? Is PP1 time your only litmus test? I have to say yes because that is all you ever write. Your MO is very clear. All you want to do is find something to complain about and someone to blame, even when the team is playing really well. Now it is both coaches for Lafreniere and Kakko. Funny.
When you see what their teams are doing with high-pick players like Hughes, Stutzle and Raymond you realize how hard Lafreniere and Kakko have gotten fucked by this organization. Hughes: 19:33 TOI/G, 56 pts, 14 on PP Stutzle: 18:14 TOI/G, 52pts, 23 on PP Raymond: 18:10 TOI/G, 55pts, 18 on PP So their teams are playing them 18+ minutes per game with tons of PP time and are reaping the rewards, in the present and for the future. Lafreniere: 13:54 TOI/G, 27 pts, 1 on the PP At one time he was even asked to learn to play RW and has constantly played with 3rd liners rather than top-line players. I don't give a shit he leads the team in even strength goals when he has less than 30 points in his 2nd year. He is closer to being a bust than being the franchise player he should be being groomed to be. That so few people see the horrible mismanagement of Lafreniere and Kakko is shocking. The moment these 2 kids got drafted the focus should have shifted to maximizing their talent and grooming them to carry the team for the next decade. Instead we fucked around putting them with has-beens or never-beens and they're nowhere near where they should be developmentally. Next season, his 3rd in the league, we should have been looking at Lafrieniere leading the team in points, getting 20+ minutes a game and being an absolute force. Instead, with the new additions at forward, it'll be another year where he'll be lucky to get any time on the top 2 lines and breaking 40 points will be a success.
So right now you would rather be a devil fan...a sens fan and a red wings fan... Here is another fact about those three kids...they HAVE to play those minutes why..because those teams do not have talent in front of them..or besides them...or behind them. Why are you all in such a hurry to rush kids to the PP..what in God's name names playing on the PP the only want to improve their game? And yes...one day..maybe next year Kreider won't score 50 goals...and one year breadman isn't going to be a top 15 point leaders..maybe that next season..they can go to the back of the line and allow the younger generation to take the reins..but for now let the kiddies sit at the kiddie table and learn from the vets. Or we could have an eichle..a nuggent hopkins..a McDavid ..all those top picks who got all those great pp points and developed...what have any of them done with all those pp points...more importantly what has any of those teams done with those top picks?
So the priority for you is developing the #2 and #1 overall draft picks over, say....winning? What you are not talking about with the three players you mention is the fact that they are either alone or in very slight company of other talented players on their not-even-close to sniffing the playoffs teams. Like, laughably BAD teams. You're comparing apples and oranges.
Let's not forget that Lafreniere started the season on the top line with Zibanejad and Kreider...so BOTH players got 1st and 2nd line opportunities at the start of the season. And judging by just the one game after Lafreniere was a healthy scratch it seemed to light a fire under him. Whatever message Gallant was trying to send to him about having a consistent level of effort was received.
that opportunity to prioritize their development already came and went. The past 2 seasons when this team was mediocre is when they should have been playing in every situation and learning from their mistakes. Now the team is in a win-now mode so they’ll lean on the veteran players to win because they never cared to develop Kakko and Lafreniere to be in those leading positions and will continue to have marginal roles on the team.
Since game 1 both Kakko and Lafreniere have been played by both coaches. They have both gotten top 6 chances. They have both gotten PP time, not PP1, but some PP time. No they have not been handed 18-19 mpg and major PP1 time like other tops picks on awful teams, but they have been given good solid roles. That is despite Kakko being hurt a lot. And with that opportunity Lafreniere has scored 17 goals this season, and has the most even strength goals on the theam since the start of last season - something no one mentions. Is the only way to grow them properly to throw them to the wolves and give them 6 or 7 extra mpg and play them on PP1? Seems a bit narrow of a path to "grow them" if that is the only way it can be done. One may argue that playing 12 mpg or so, on a winning team, surrounded by other really good players, playing in the top 6 off and on, and on PP2 may help them become winning well rounded players. But I guess since it isn't 18-19 mpg on PP1 for a bad team, that doesn't count.
Exactly 31. Honestly, it's only because of Lafreniere's high hockey IQ and incredible talent that the kid has managed 17 goals this season being fucked over and treated like a yo-yo by the organization. This is exactly why I believe Kakko will get multiple offer sheets if not signed and he will take one of them. I don't believe he is going to sign with the Rangers until he gets an offer sheet. I would. That's because I would see my organization not putting me on the PP or playing me 18 minutes for the next 3 to 4 years and my paycheck staying at shit. I expect him to get a 8 y, 56 million offer sheet from another team.
Kakko has not lived up the expectation at all yet. We can debate the reasons why, but that much I think we'd all agree on. The Lafreniere thing really puzzles me. This is a kid who has 17 goals this season, leads the team in even strength goals, and is clearly very talented and his full ice game is heading in the right direction. I just don't see what there is to nit-pick about his growth and development. Do we make a big issue out of an extra 6 mpg and getting PP1 time? Seems a bit over the top to me given what the kid has accomplished thus far in his very short career. I can at least see a debate on Kakko, not Lafreniere. And of course there is the old fallback. Something good happens - the player gets all the credit and it is their talent. Something bad happens and it's the coaches fault or the teams fault. That is a no win situation.
I think the Rangers will offer Kakko more of a shorter term, bridge contract of something like 4/$20m as they may be wary of his injury history and also use his stats against him. I don't really see another team wanting to give up that kind of boatload of picks for some of those same concerns perhaps, so it kind of works to the Rangers favor.
It's looking like a better idea to put my head through a wall than to keep reading this same repetitive nonsense.
The injuries might be the only thing that saves this dumb fuck organization from Kakko trying to bolt.
Another example how the clusterfucks running the Rangers are fucking up the development of Lafreniere and Kakko. Beniers leaves college to go to Seattle. He played over 19 minutes yesterday and over 7 minutes on the PP. He has 2 g 1 a in 3 games. That' what you are supposed to do with a high pick. Not put him with rejects, give him under 15 minutes of icetime most nights with no PP time on the top unit.
Apples and oranges. Also, very small sample size. Lets be honest, would you rather be a fan of the Rangers or the Kraken/Devils/Senators/Red Wings right now? Personally i could not care less if Lafreniere was a career AHLer if the Rangers are contending for the Cup.
