When Alexis Lafreniere was a draft prospect he was touted as a can’t-miss type of talent. Scouts had him as a player who could step into the top six during his rookie season. A player who had no flaws coming out and was seen as one of the complete prospects the leagues have seen. When the Rangers got the first overall pick, fans were ecstatic. He was seen as the crown jewel of the Rangers rebuild and the guy to lead the Rangers back to the Stanley Cup.
However, in the first three years of Lafreniere’s career things haven’t gone how people expected. So far Lafreniere has never broken 40 points in the season, or over 20 goals in a season. He also seemed lost on the ice. He didn’t look at all like the player he was when he was in juniors. Fans were starting to call him a bust. Giving up on the dream of being a top-line winger one day.
Although this season things are completely different. Lafreniere looks more like the player everyone thought he was going to be. In 36 games this season he has 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points. He’s currently on pace to have career highs in all of those stats. He also plays a much more confident style of hockey. He’s comfortable on the ice and getting more consistent production out of him. But the question is what’s the reason for Lafreniere’s breakout?
Better Fitting With This Coaching Style
If there is one thing that has been made clear this season, Peter Laviolette is a much better coach than Gerard Gallant. Gallant was a very hands-off coach. His whole strategy was to have Igor Shestkerin block everything and Chris Krieder tips the puck in on the powerplay. He also just let the players do whatever they wanted and didn’t help them improve. Not a coaching style that works for young players. Gallant was also a very hard coach on the young players. If a young player made a mistake he would demote them or even scratch them. This means that young players like Lafreniere were constantly afraid to make a mistake because it could cause him to lose his job.
However, Laviolette’s coaching style is a breath of fresh air to the Rangers. In his brief tenure, he’s been the exact opposite of Gallant. He does simple things like run practice, which is something Gallant never did. He’s also been stressing the importance of allowing players to have consistent playing time. He doesn’t want to shake up the lines because he doesn’t want to mess up chemistry. He’s trying to create a lineup of consistency.
This style of coaching is something that Lafreniere has thrived under. He’s no longer looking over his shoulder, constantly worrying that if he makes a mistake his playing time will decrease. He’s locked into his spot on the second line which allows him to play more freely and less conservatively. Which is why he is more confident on the ice.
His Line Has Thrived All Season
Embed from Getty ImagesThe benefit of your coach not constantly changing where you play in the lineup is it allows you to develop a relationship with your linemates. You start to understand how each other plays. What each other’s strengths and weaknesses are. Overall you just develop chemistry the more you play with people. So far this season Lafreniere has played exclusively on the second line with Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin. Which has been the best offensive line for the Rangers all season. Being on such a successful offensive line has given a boost to Lafreniere’s game.
Of his linemates the player he has the most in common with is Panarin. Many Rangers fans have been begging the Rangers brass for years to pair Lafreniere and Panarin. Panarin always seemed to make the players around him better, the hope was he could do the same for Lafreniere. So far Rangers fans have been proven right.
The two have a very complementary style of play. Panarin is a world-class playmaker, who is known more for his ability to create scoring chances. Lafreniere has an attacking mindset which allows him to get into the perfect position to put the puck in the back of the net. When these two factors are combined it is no surprise Lafreniere is on pace to shatter all of his career-high records.
What Does The Future For Lafreniere Look Like
Sure Lafreniere isn’t putting up the point at the rate everyone was expecting him to. He’s not a point at the same level as other first-round picks like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, or Jack Hughes. However just because he’s not a top-ten player in the league, doesn’t mean he’s a bust. He can still be a very productive player in this league. The more and more he plays the more confidence he’s going to build, which will only help him in his point production. Plus he’s still only 22 years old, there is still a lot of time for him to develop. Overall if Lafreniere can keep this up he should become a fixture in the Rangers top six for years to come.
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