2023-11-26 14:42:20
SPECIAL COLLABORATION
When he arrived in the NHL, expectations for Alexis Lafrenière were very high. A unanimous choice in first place in his vintage following a 112-point season with the Rimouski Océanic, he joined a core of the Rangers which already included Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Adam Fox, and Igor Shesterkin, in addition to the 2nd pick of the previous draft in Kaapo Kakko. The foundations of a dynasty seemed in place at Madison Square Garden.
Three years later, when his rookie contract expired, the Rangers, their fans, and the NHL world had more questions than answers regarding Lafrenière. What salary was he going to get following three disappointing seasons where he never reached 20 goals or 40 points? Would the Rangers look to trade him to save a few dollars, when they were already close to the salary cap? Did he still have the chance to become a star, or was he going to join the ranks of the Alexandre Daigles and Nail Yakupovs of this world? How was he going to adapt to a third head coach in four seasons?
Lafrenière and New York finally agreed on a two-year contract worth $2.325 million per year. About twenty matches later, the narrative has completely changed. The Rangers sit atop the NHL with a 15-3-1 record following a convincing 7-4 victory over the Bruins.
The native of Saint-Eustache is a key piece in the top-6 of the BlueShirts and is having by far the best start to the season of his career. He is third in goals scored at Rangers with eight, a pace of around 35 goals over a full season. What changed?
A beneficial change behind the bench
Lafrenière, in his fourth year in the NHL, is already on his third head coach. Under David Quinn as a rookie, he played at least 50 minutes with nine different players during the COVID-shortened 56-game season. And in each of two seasons with Gerard Gallant behind the bench, he spent 100 minutes or more with six different players. He was used in all sauces, moving from the 1st to the 3rd line regularly. It’s difficult to build confidence and rhythm when your linemates and your role change from night to night.
Peter Laviolette is taking a different approach with the 1st pick in the 2020 auction and it’s paying off so far. Lafrenière was used almost exclusively on the opposite wing ofArtemi Panarin, one of the best playmakers in the NHL. He receives premium playing time, often in key moments, and he responds brilliantly. Seven of his eight goals came with the score tied or with a one-goal margin, including two game-winners.
Panarin spoke regarding the importance of that confidence for the 22-year-old winger.
“I think it’s very important to feel that confidence from the coach,” Panarin said. “The coach expects a lot from you, not just ‘Go on the ice and don’t lose the puck at the blue line.’ If that’s all he wants from you, it’s not a good feeling. »
Lafrenière and Panarin: fast and dangerous
A key aspect of Lafrenière’s success this season is that he uses his speed and vision to attack aggressively at the entrance to the zone. With Panarin, there is no shortage of opportunities, and he seems to be on the same page as the star winger.
Result: Lafrenière has 21 chances at entry this season and Panarin has 20, so that they form one of only two pairs of teammates to have at least 20 chances each, the other being that of Valeri Nichushkin (24) And Nathan MacKinnon (23). Lafreniere is also tied for first in the NHL with 5 goals scored on these chances. The duo uses this speed to control 58.9% of expected goals when on the ice at even strength, a clear advantage over their competition.
No power play, no problem
Another encouraging aspect is that his production has mostly come at even strength, with seven of his eight goals and 10 of his 12 points scored at even strength. The first wave of Rangers, which employed Panarin, Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, et Adam Fox is one of the most efficient players in the NHL. They have 10 goals, one of only six units to reach that plateau and they did it in just 32 minutes of play. No other unit with 10 or more goals has done it in less than 43 minutes. Difficult to justify breaking a winning recipe of this kind, which relegates Lafrenière to the second wave and only 25 minutes of play with a man advantage, the 8th among the Rangers.
That means Lafreniere is scoring at a rate of regarding 30 even-strength goals over 82 games, a total that would have put him top-10 in the NHL last year, tied with names like Clayton Keller, Nathan MacKinnon and Mark Scheifele. Don’t worry, right?
Lafreniere is a great example that not every top pick can dominate from day one like Connor Bedard or Sidney Crosby. All players develop at their own pace and even top prospects can take a few seasons to find their rhythm. It’s easy to forget that he’s only 22 following all. It’s barely been a year since he’s been able to legally order a beer in the United States. Sometimes all it takes is a little patience, something Canadiens fans might want to keep in mind with a certain other first overall pick.
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