Discussion of the Day: 9/15/23
Yesterday Chris Drury met the media at rookie camp and announced that during training camp that both Alexis Lafrenière and Brennan Othmann would have a chance to play on right wing.
There are differing opinions on this, and that brings us to today’s prompt.
Where should Alexis Lafrenière start the season?
Right now in the top six on the left you have Artemiy Panarin and Chris Kreider, and the thought seems to be that long term it would make sense to have Lafrenière and Othmann on the right. This is because Kaapo Kakko is the No. 1 RW, and the No. 2 spot is up for grabs with no favorite in place. Within the organization the only high-end RW in waiting is Gabe Perrault, but he was just drafted and won’t be here for at least two or three years.
Blake Wheeler is likely a one and done for this team and in a pinch could grab that position, but I’d bank on him starting as the No. 3 wing if the team stays conservative in their deployment. That leaves the No. 2 spot for Lafrenière, something that was tried off and on last year. But is that where he should start?
I don’t think so, and essentially I think the Rangers need to get to a point where their top 3 lines play roughly the same minutes 5v5, at the expense of the 4th line’s minutes on most nights, with the option to adjust things depending on how much special teams play there is.
Lafrenière did amazing things on the left wing in the CHL, and that led to him being a highly touted prospect selected No. 1 overall in his draft year. If that’s where he’s most comfortable, it is where he should play. To this point, he’s not received a long run as a top-six winger on the left side, and I think until that happens we don’t know what his potential is. If at that point the results aren’t there, then it make sense to try and convert him to a full-time right wing.
In my hypothetical scenario of the top three lines playing about the same at 5v5, here are the combinations I would try.
Alexis Lafrenière — Mika Zibanejad — Kaapo Kakko
Artemiy Panarin — Filip Chytil — Blake Wheeler
Chris Kreider — Vincent Trocheck — Jimmy Vesey
These combination may sound a little interesting, but hear me out. For starters, we know what lines work, and I think the goal should be experimenting to see what other possibilities exist. Here are the forward lines that logged at least 100 minutes together, with their respective stats via Evolving-Hockey.
If all else fails, you know the Rangers can roll out a combination of Kreider-Zibanejad-Kakko on line 1, Panarin-Trocheck-Lafrenière on line 2, and then someone on the LW to go along with Chytil and Wheeler on line 3.
For that reason I have these combos which represent something different. Don’t pay attention to the order in which I have them listed, at the end of the day I want them each to play around the same amount of time. Think something like 18 minutes for one line, 17 minutes for another, 16 minutes for another, and the final 9 going to the 4th line. Obviously special teams will happen, but the coaching staff can adjust as needed.
I think that Lafrenière and Kakko play well off of each other, and having Zibanejad as a dual threat to shoot or pass can create some space for both players. Kakko is great at digging pucks along the wall, and that can let Lafrenière focus on being a shooter. I think if he starts shooting the puck more he can build confidence, and this trio create a chance for him.
Chytil emerged as one of the Rangers’ better goal scorers last season finishing 4th on the team with 22 in 74 games played, and I think putting him with two skilled playmakers is the way to go. Panarin and Wheeler are both great passers, and putting them on either side of Chytil opens up a lot of opportunities. Panarin also likes to score goals, and having him on his off wing with a skilled playmaker like Wheeler on the other side opens up a chance for one-timers, something that’s been underutilized by the Rangers in recent years. There are some drawbacks here defensively, but I think that’s a risk to take given the defense the team has, plus Igor Shesterkin in net.
Lastly is a trio of Kreider, Trocheck, and Vesey, something I’d look at as a hard-working plucky line that can play a heavier game and also be a threat to score. Kreider scores the majority of his goals around the net on tips, or skating on the wing. Both of these things can be done without Zibanejad, and I know it may seem like heresy to break the two up. Then you have Vesey on the right side as hard worker that goes to the dirty areas of the ice, and can chip in anywhere from 10 to 15 goals.
With that, I turn the question over to you, where do you think Lafrenière should start?
