The only tools a coach has with his players is ice time and the press box. And that needs to be fair to all the players.
I would hope a veteran NHL coach would have better motivation/people skills than that, but I get your larger point.
@pierre_pdare yes for the first time in his career he should get top 6 minutes and Regular ice time on a two pp system, not the show Gallant did using the same 5 guys 98% of the time, more worried about his job performance than development. Facts are facts Lafreniere and Kappo have not had near the opportunity other top end picks have. I saw a graph the other day Lafreniere’s ice time is similar to Brendl and Yakupov’s in their first three years. Those two played their way into that ice time after their first 40 games after having all kinds of opportunity’s up the lineup, and their ice time went down, to a level Lafreniere is at. Which is on Gallant. He did not play his way into that. Brendl and Yakapov were obvious busts after 40 games each. No one can be positive Lafreniere can’t cut it til he gets a chance. The talent is obvious, the rest of it is unknown til he gets his chance and Kappo and Chytil for that matter.
@pierre_pdare yes for the first time in his career he should get top 6 minutes and Regular ice time on a two pp system, not the show Gallant did using the same 5 guys 98% of the time, more worried about his job performance than development. Facts are facts Lafreniere and Kappo have not had near the opportunity other top end picks have. I saw a graph the other day Lafreniere’s ice time is similar to Brendl and Yakupov’s in their first three years. Those two played their way into that ice time after their first 40 games after having all kinds of opportunity’s up the lineup, and their ice time went down, to a level Lafreniere is at. Which is on Gallant. He did not play his way into that. Brendl and Yakapov were obvious busts after 40 games each. No one can be positive Lafreniere can’t cut it til he gets a chance. The talent is obvious, the rest of it is unknown til he gets his chance and Kappo and Chytil for that matter.
As for Brendl he never played a shift for the Rangers and only 2 games in the playoffs for Hartford. He ended up in the Lindros trade going to Philly were they sent him to the Phantoms and he played some with the FLyers (6g 7a in 50 games). I kinda lost track of him but we did waste a 4th overall pick for him and a couple of NHLers to get the pick. Yakupov got plenty of top 6 ice time in Edmonton with some pretty talented players and never met expectations.
Where do you think he should be after 20 games getting top 6 minutes and #2 PP? Can he be a point per game guy? He is a career .42 ppg.
If they need me to bleed, then I'll bleed for my team
Point per game is a reasonable expectation but that is only partially up to him. His linemates have to convert his passes into goals. That didn't happen enough on the 3rd line.
@pierre_pdare Brendl got his 40 games and opportunity with Philly. I went off the graph and opportunity the ice times presented. Point being through no fault of his own Laff and Kakko have both not had adequate ice time opportunity, especially compared to other top picks. I think its obvious Kakko is poised to have his best year and coincidently is setup to have his best opportunity, and Lafreniere is also in the same projected opportunity albeit second fiddle to Kakko at right wing. And for people who never played the game, switching sides is more than pucks off the wall. Its a entirely different game on your off wing. So there is that to factor in. Long story short no one knows what Lafreniere will do with this opportunity, because there is the off wing factor. He is capable of a point a game and the Rangers really need 30 goal 30 assist minimum type seasons out of Lafreniere and Kakko.
I think Pavel Brendl was elected to the Papaya King Hall Of Fame.
1 Cup in 86 years
2048
I think Pavel Brendl was elected to the Papaya King Hall Of Fame.
They almost went out of business...
MMMM...
If they need me to bleed, then I'll bleed for my team
So I hope Laf playing against better opposition is going to increase his productivity but I wouldn't want to bet on it.
If they need me to bleed, then I'll bleed for my team
@lafrenger Your observation about playing on the off-wing is accurate.
Othmann 3 points in 2 games, already serving notice to Wheeler to pack his bags.
Interesting that they have Othmann playing his off side in Hartford. Both PP and even strength.