There is a new sheriff in town. After the New York Rangers dismissed Gerard Gallant, a new bench boss was needed. Despite having an Eastern Conference final appearance and two straight 100-point seasons, Chris Drury felt the change is needed. Peter Laviolette is the new bench boss on Broadway. Is it the right move? Or could it backfire? Laviolette brings a winning pedigree with him. Here is what Head Coach Peter Laviolette’s impact can be on the team, specifically the youth.
The Impact Of Laviolette On Young Players
This hire is similar to what the Boston Bruins did with Jim Montgomery. With a unique blend of youth mixed with veterans, getting the younger guys to elevate their games was crucial. You saw multiple young guys in Jake DeBrusk, Trent Frederic, and Connor Clifton enjoy career seasons. This is precisely where Peter Laviolette stands and feels about them on this roster. The two players this will impact the most are Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere.
Like the Bruins, the Rangers have the perfect blend of youth and veterans. It creates a great mix and competitiveness. You have a veteran core group of Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, and Vincent Trocheck. Factoring in the youth of K’Andre Miller, Kakko, Lafreniere, Filip Chytil, and even Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin. This is a great recipe to work with. It is just about getting the younger players to develop further.
Laviolette said, “Those young players do need an opportunity to grow,” he said during his introductory press conference on Tuesday. “They have to be … given the opportunity to be counted on more. … They want to feel valued with what they do.”
If they want more, they can get more, but they will have to work for it.
Players’ Wishes Could Be Granted
Upon their first-round exit to the New Jersey Devils, the exit interviews left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. While some players reflected on their time in the Big Apple, others looked forward to the next season. These two players, in particular, were Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere..l
"Maybe get some power play time and also play more. That's the next step."
Kaapo Kakko talks about his growth as a player and what his future goals are: pic.twitter.com/ReIq1S1OpN
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) May 3, 2023
Kakko, on the other hand, wants to make his mark and impact in the lineup. He went on to say that he would like to see time on the power play. It is great to see younger players hungry and wanting more. This is something new head coach Peter Laviolette will give them.
"You'd like to see them take the next step. More minutes, a little higher up the lineup, more power play time."
– Peter Laviolette on Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafrenière pic.twitter.com/KgPaR91np0
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) June 20, 2023
Laviolette wants to hand them the keys and let them hit the throttle. He said, “You certainly would like to see them take the next step: More minutes, maybe a little higher up the lineup, maybe more power-play time. With that, there has to be an opportunity. These conversations will take place – I certainly would like that – and those opportunities will be there for them to grab that ice time and to push.” This not only benefits the team but the players as well and is very important as we advance.
Why This Is Important
Head coach Peter Laviolette will do his best to ensure the younger guys make their impacts. This is 100% the best thing for them and the club. New York struck gold when they did draft Kaapo Kakko second overall in the 2019 NHL draft. In addition, the club landed the number-one overall selection and picked Alexis Lafreniere. However, both high selections have not lived up to the billing. But there is room for optimism with their respective games.
For the last two seasons, both players have been playing on the third line with Filip Chytil. In addition, both are coming off career seasons. Kakko set a career-high in goals (18) and points (40). He Kakko saw his shooting percentage skyrocket, and his ice time stayed relatively the same. However, when Patrick Kane arrived on the scene, he saw his power play time diminish.
In addition, Lafreniere scored 16 goals and set a career-high in points (39). Lafreniere scored at his expected rate as he generated the eighth most expected goals. He saw his average ice time rise to 15 minutes as opposed to the 13 minutes he received in the first two seasons. Lafreniere was deployed on the power play (109 minutes) and scored three goals.
At the end of the day, you see the growth in their games. There is room for optimism, and if given the green light for more opportunity, the sky is the limit. And Laviolette has said he will give these two players every opportunity to earn those spots and those minutes.
Opportunity For The Taking
Head coach Peter Laviolette will give the two players every opportunity. The new head coach said, “You certainly would like to see them take the next step: More minutes, maybe a little higher up the lineup, maybe more power-play time. With that, there has to be an opportunity. These conversations will take place – I certainly would like that – and those opportunities will be there for them to grab that ice time and to push.”
The issue has always been roster construction. Given the fact that Lafreniere plays left wing, it makes things challenging for him to move up. Unless a player such as Panarin or Kreider moves to his offside, it remains to be seen how it all comes together. But as Laviolette said, he will have those discussions.
Kakko wanting more minutes and power play time makes sense. He is young, but he protects the puck well, and he uses his big frame to go to the front of the net. With Kane likely not returning, the door is open for him. He is a right winger for the club, and that side of the ice is more open for the taking.
It’ll be great to see, but the time has come to give the young guys the keys to the team and develop them further. In addition to these two, the club has impactful youth in K’Andre Miller, Braden Schneider, and Filip Chytil.
Main Photo: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
