Rangers Rumors: Canucks want Alexis Lafreniere, and coach delays
According to this article, the Canucks are still interested in Alexis Lafreniere. I’m curious to know what Canucks fans think fair value is.
Also Lafreniere is an RFA and is due a new contract this summer. Rangers are tight against the cap, with some decisions to make. You might not even want Laf, which is fair.
by AAfreakinRON
36 Comments
I’m still not sure what we could offer NYR.
They probably don’t care about picks and our prospects are worse than Laf. The kid line produces pretty well for cheap and trading them for Miller would probably harm their depth too much at too big a cap cost.
Miller before he signed his extension sure made a lot more sense…
Im sure not everyone will agree but I would be open to trading the 11th overall pick for Lafreniere
Depending on who is available at 11th of course.
If Dvorsky/Benson/Michkov caliber players are there, then no.
But if you’re looking at Cristall/Perrault/Sale and that tier of player, definitely shop the pick if you don’t like what you see.
Isn’t Laf another slow winger? We don’t really need more of those
I dont see the appeal in Laf beyond the pedigree. He had ZERO points in the playoffs this year and would be another slow player on an already slow team.
Lafreniere needs to land somewhere he can get top six minutes. He would be a solid option behind Kuzmenko on the second line if the Canucks were looking to take a gamble. I just don’t see what they can offer NY without having to overpay.
Laf needs to play in the top six consistently to really take a step forward I think, so the Canucks would need to dump a top six winger or two to make room (we already have guys like Boeser and Garland playing 3rd line a lot of the time), and the Rangers can’t afford to take any of them. It’s tricky with both teams against the cap, and with wingers being the least of the Canucks’ needs. I’d be excited to add him though.
It’s such a difficult trade, Lafreniere’s draft pedigree means NYR will want high value back but any team acquiring him will want to hedge bets. I think it’ll be an asking-price-too-high, offer-price-too-low situation until he becomes a UFA (which I believe is after this next RFA contract?)
But who knows how hockey minds work… look at Nail Yakupov as a former 1OA trade: after 3 seasons with Edmonton he had 88 points (Laf has 91 after 3 seasons). By the end of Year 4 he had 111 points and was let go for an ECHL player and conditional 3rd. If Lafreniere has another down year, NYR could do a fire sale to recoup something before he walks? We can dream.
At 20 years old, he’s in a solid position, but I’d only be for it, if it means he’s on a bridge deal and we don’t give up too much in terms of assets.
No way are we paying him Stutzle type money
There’s too much risk to trade a high pick for Lafreniere. He could be worth it, but the risk that he’s nothing more than an average middle-six winger is real.
The maximum I’d go for right now is a Hoglander for Lafreniere swap.
The issue with Lafrieniere is that he doesn’t really fit a need of ours. What we would be comfortable offering and what the NYR would be comfortable taking is two different ballparks. His value as a former 1st overall pick is far too high for being a project player.
In terms of offers, the highest I would feel comfortable going is something like Hoglander, a 3rd, and a B prospect or mid-late pick(s). Which would not be anywhere near enough IMO.
I would probably go as high as a 2nd round pick, or a B-level prospect and some conditional picks based on performance. I doubt the Rangers bite on that
People have mentioned a deal built around Hoglander+ for Lafreniere. Would people also entertain a deal built around Podkolzin+?
Laf definitely has more offensive upside, but Podz can potentially still become an effective bottom six PK guy if the offense never materializes. I think Laf might be top-six, first-unit PP or bust kind of player, so he’s higher risk/reward.
O.E.L. and a storage container full of unsold Messier merchandise… maybe future considerations as well
Nothing, let the Habs take him
Hoglander or Podz +2nd rounder and something else. Maybe a future top 10 protected first.
I wouldn’t, if I’m offering up large assets I’d be poking around the 3OA
Hear me out, what if we trade Andrei Kuzmenko.
The Rangers have an obsession with adding star level players with great counting stats to their lineup, and they’re in a win right-the-fuck-now position. They can’t afford to take their time with Laf and Kakko and hope they have a breakout any day now.
Kuzmenko has 2 years at a super reasonable cap hit. If he lives up to it and scores 39 goals again this year and the year after, he’s getting over $10M anywhere he wants. Even if he wanted to stay here after putting up numbers like that, we might not be able to afford him, and at 30 years old I don’t know if we should.
If we trade Kuz with retention we’re not just getting Laf, we’re getting Laf and a 1st. A 1st that this management would love to flip for more stuff.
Nothing. What do they need him for
Another bust like Kravstov.
Don’t you dare touch our Hög. 🐷
Don’t really want him especially for what it would probably cost
Garland
2nd round pick.
Yeah I’d just pass on him. Rather keep the pieces we have than trade for him.
Kuzmenko would make sense. He’s a big improvement for the rangers in the short term and the Canucks might not want to pay him what he’s worth in two more years anyway on a UFA contract. Lafreniere would be worth taking a swing on in that situation if you ask me.
7th round pick
I’d rather have Kakko. 5on5 machine with good defensive play. Guy would get 60+ points if he was on PP1
11 overall pick and garland
None.
We don’t need wingers.
3rd round pick
Maybe we could offer them a lifetime supply of Timbits and Poutine?
NYR would ask too much and we should not offer much. Draft pedigree aside, I don’t want another poor skater riding on hopes and dreams. Don’t see it happening.
Rathbone, Boeser, Garland for Laff and NYR 1st
Idk. Just spitballing.
Hoglander Myers and a 2nd
> **If** the two sides are at an impasse over his upcoming contract, **I believe** it’s **possible** he **could** be moved and the Canucks are a **likely** destination. **Some** even **speculated** Brock Boeser as the main piece coming back.
Holy fuck this article gave me second hand cancer. This is journalism in 2023, everyone. Even titles it, “Canucks want Lafreniere”, and goes through the whole article speculating everything.
Rathbone and Beauvillier for Lafreniere
See what Laf wants for his new deal, might end up being a cap-neutral move. I’d give him a 2 year x 4.5 million deal and call it a day. We would keep him an RFA at the expiry of his bridge deal.
There’s no way that we could get him to sign a cheap 6 or 7 year deal. Cap is going up and he’s going to keep on improving.
I’ve proposed this a couple of times; I think it works for both teams.
To Vancouver: Alexis Lafrenier and NYR 2023 first round pick (23rd overall)
To NY Rangers: Canucks 2023 first round pick (11th OA) and Brock Boeser.