As I mentioned in my previous scouting report, the 2020 NHL Draft might be the deepest draft since 2003, and today I’m going be taking a look at a superstar in the making, Alexis Lafreniere.
Lafreniere is a highly skilled left winger, who has played for the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL the last few years. He has all the attributes to be considered a generational type talent, up there with the likes of Sidney Crosby, and Connor McDavid. There is no doubt in my mind that Alexis will have a smooth transition to the NHL next season, and will in no time be on a teams top line.
Lafreniere is a complete player. He competes hard on both sides of the puck, can be quite physical, and has the occasional fight. His offensive ability is what drives his game, and proves night in, night out, that he is going to be an impact player at the NHL level.
Alexis possesses a lethal shot, and has tremendous vision. His ability to read a play before it even happens is remarkable. He always finds himself in the right place at the right time, whether its just for a tap in, or he’s on the receiving end of an outlet pass.
While he is extremely talented on both sides of the puck, and his offensive game is phenomenal, the only issue Lafreniere has is that at times he can get a little heated and become undisciplined. In 173 career games in the QMJHL, Alexis has accumulated 176 penalty minutes. As he transitions to the NHL it’s safe to say that he will need to understand that if he continues to remain undisciplined, his ice time will not be very high.
I’ve been tracking and following Lafreniere’s development since around 2016. In the 2015-16 season, he recorded 69 points in 26 games in bantam, before making the jump to midget in 2016-17 where he had 83 points in 36 games.
Whoever lands the 1st overall pick and chooses Alexis Lafreniere is going to be a very exciting franchise to watch over the next 12-15 years. The amount of revenue the franchise will bring in just by having Lafreniere on their team is going to be astronomical.
To conclude my report on Alexis Lafreniere, I’m going to provide you with list of different aspects of his game and rate them on a scale from N/A or limited viewing to 10. I will be using the NHL Central Scouting checklist as a guide. The rating scale as follows:
N/A, LV: Not Available, Limited Viewing; 1-2: Poor; 3-4: Average; 5-6: Good, 7-8: Very Good; 9-10: Excellent.
Skating: Acceleration (7), Speed (8), Balance (7), Mobility (7), Backwards skating (6).
Puck Skills: Shot accuracy (9), Shot strength (8), Shot release (8), Possesses multiple shot types (7), Puck protection (7), Face offs (N/A), Giving a pass (7), Receiving a pass (8), Scoring touch (10).
Competitiveness: Scoring drive (9), Work ethic (7), Attitude (6), Consistency (Rated 1 out of 5: 3), Forechecking (7).
Physical Play: Board & Corner play (7), Physical presence (7), Conditioning (8), Hitting (8), Fighting (5).
Hockey Sense: Playmaking (8), Anticipation (8), Discipline (4), Decision making (7), Play under pressure (8), Versatility (7).
Defensive Play: Defensive anticipation (6), Positioning (7), Backchecking (6), Defensive reliability (6).
Psychological Factors: Leadership (8), Communication (6), Confidence (7).
NHL Comparable: Sidney Crosby. Both highly skilled forwards, both came out of the Rimouski Oceanic organization, both are great leaders. Lafreniere’s physicality is much more present in his game, than it is for Sid, but overall they are very similar in many aspects of their games.
NHL ETA: 2020-21. Lafreniere is NHL ready, and will make an immediate impact when he arrives.
Potential: First line left winger.
Draft Projection: 1st overall. A player of Lafreniere’s calibre doesn’t come along very often (Crosby 2005, McDavid 2015, Lafreniere 2020).
Alexis Lafreniere. Born: Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada. October 11th 2001 (18 yrs old). Position: Left Wing. Height: 6’1″. Weight: 192. Shoots: Left.
2019-20 statistics: Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL): Games Played: 52. Goals: 35. Assists: 77. Points: 112. Penalty Minutes: 50. Plus/Minus: +41.
Canada (2020 WJHC): Games Played: 5. Goals: 4. Assists: 6. Points: 10. Penalty Minutes: 4. Plus/Minus: +3.
Awards (2018/19-2019/20)
QMJHL/CHL: 2 x CHL Player of The Year (2018-19; 2019-20). 2 x QMJHL MVP (2018-19; 2019-20). QMJHL Personality of The Year (2018-19). QMJHL Most Professional Prospect (2019-20). QMJHL Most Assists and Most Points (2019-20).
International: Hlinka/Gretzky Cup Gold Medal (2018-19). U20 WJC Gold Medal (2019-20). U20 WJC All-Star Team (2019-20). U20 WJC Best Forward (2019-20). U20 WJC MVP (2019-20). U20 WJC Top 3 Player on Team (2019-20).
Statistics from: https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/296697/alexis-lafreniere
Scouting Checklist: https://hockeyfamilyadvisor.com/2019/11/19/nhl-central-scouting-checklist-forwards/