Mike Sullivan will be debuting in Madison Square Garden this season as Head Coach. We all want a show. But the one we want, we're unsure he can give, as Alexis Lafreniere's full potential hasn't been released yet, can he tap into it?![Mike Sullivan Sends Special Thanks to Pittsburgh Penguins Fans]()
St. Eustache, Quebec-born Alexis Lafreniere was selected 1st overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. Unlike the numerous superstar goalies and defensemen drafted by the organization, Lafreniere's been a mystery.
This year could be significant for the forward, who has signed a lucrative $7.4 million contract with the Rangers and will start this season.
He'll have all eyes on him after his 57-point season in 2023-2024. Afterwards, it seemed like that contract was justified. But now, with a 45-point season, fans are skeptical of what he can contribute.
It'll be up to Mike Sullivan to find a way to tap into his potential.
This season, he played on the top line with Artemi Panarin and Vinnie Trocheck again.
The line logged 668 minutes together at 5v5 and it had a collective slash line which included a 56.58 goals for percentage, a 55.94 Corsi for percentage, and a 51.99 expected goals for percentage per Evolving-Hockey.
You'd expect an increase in production from the line as a whole, including Lafreniere? But his production would decline by a staggering amount of 12 points.
His GF% dropped from 52.87 to 48.68, his CF% went from 55.6 to 52.55, and his xGF% of 48.63 was 3.36% worse than the prior year
Sullivan, who likes to teach, could be the one after Quinn, Gallant, and Laviolette to bring out Lafreniere's best hockey. He'll have to address his lack of execution in the defensive zone, and maybe, just maybe, that'll be the first step to his game flourishing on the ice.
It's a game of mistakes. Our responsibility is to learn from them."
Mike Sullivan
Mike Sullivan
While those particular coaches (Quinn, Laviolette, and Gallant) loved to rely on veterans and win hockey games, Sullivan likes to teach and win.
Sullivan has had success with players like Jake Guentzel before in Pittsburgh, i.e.
2016-17: 16-17-33 in 40 games (age 22)
2017-18: 22-26-48 in 82 games (age 23)
2018-19: 40-36-76 in 82 games (age 24)
2017-18: 22-26-48 in 82 games (age 23)
2018-19: 40-36-76 in 82 games (age 24)
Could Lafreniere be the next to follow suit in New York? If he can tap into Lafreniere's passion and purpose on the ice, perhaps.
