Marner Enthusiast
Joined: Apr. 2019
Posts: 4,396
Likes: 996
So far, it has not been a good start to Alexis Lafreniere's career. No points in 6 games plus his play driving numbers have been brutal. He actually got off to a great start as his expected goals per 60 ranked in the 68th percentile while his expected goals against per 60 ranked in the 76th percentile. However, over the last 3 games, that has gone down significantly. He is now ranks 15th on his team in expected goals % and 11th in individual expected goals per 60.
Having watched his 2 games against the Penguins, I noticed that he is smart enough to get into the right places to take a chance, but his skill is not good enough to achieve results at the top level yet. He has the tendency to mishandle the puck or whiff on his shot.
I'm not going to consider him a bust just yet but it's been disappointing since he was hyped by fans and analysts as one of the most well-rounded forward prospects of the salary cap era. I think he needs to be stapled onto a line with Chytil or Blackwell for a consistent amount of time. Let him get comfortable against weaker competition while playing alongside a strong play driver. He needs more time to adjust to the skill level of the NHL.