Spotlight on Statzl and Lafrenière, Zibanejad on high draft pressures

walterpalladNovember 30, 2022

“It’s a learning curve for everyone. It puts you in an unfamiliar situation.”

“Some people take time, some people try right away, and some people do it well,” said Mika Zibanejad, a 29-year-old New York Ranger who was selected sixth overall from Ottawa. Photo by Danny Wilde /USA TODAYSports

Wednesday’s subplot was all about Tim Stutzle taking on Alexis Lafrenière and looking back at the October 2020 NHL Draft.

If it were to happen again, the Ottawa Senator’s dynamic 20-year-old center would appear to have taken first place overall. But at the time, his 21-year-old left winger for the New York Rangers, Lafreniere, was considered his top pick not to be missed, without getting his head around it.

There’s a long game going on here too — none other than Lafrenière’s teammate former Senator No. 6 overall nominee Mika Zibanejad — but at this point, it’s hard to argue about numbers.

Statzl came into the game with 8 goals and 14 assists in 21 games this season, and 42 goals and 67 assists in 153 NHL games. Lafrenière said that in the 2022-23 season he scored 3 goals and 7 assists in 23 games, and in 158 games he scored 34 goals and 28 assists. He sparked for the Rangers in the spring playoffs and in 20 games he tallied 2 goals and 7 assists.

Stutzle delivers a near-nightly highlight package, watching the No. 1 center minute. Lafrenière, meanwhile, is trying to find his rhythm while playing deep within the Rangers lineup.

New York Rangers guard Alexis Lafrenière said he wants more consistency in his game. Photo by Stephen Brashear /USA TODAYSports

“I still think we can be more consistent in the game,” Lafrenière said Wednesday morning. “I think there were some good games and some games that I could have done better, but that’s the biggest thing, the consistency of the play, that’s the hardest part. I have a lot of different linemates. , the line is changing a lot and learning how to play with different people.”

In fact, the situation is not the same.

The Rangers are now in winning mode with less rope given to young misses. Lafrenière has only played 15:49 per game, but he’s only played 15:49 per game, including 12:45 in the Rangers’ 5-3 loss on Sunday. haven’t played Kaapokakko, the No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft, is in a similar boat, playing 15:43 every night.

Meanwhile, the Senators continue to improve despite their mistakes, with Statzl averaging 20:18 per game without losing ice time due to turnovers or defensive errors along the way. .

“I like the way he plays and the way he competes,” Rangers manager Gerald Gallant said. He doesn’t have the same opportunities as us.He came to a team with top-end players, but he never got his first power playtime and many other kids have had bad teams in the past. I was able to get it because I belonged to. right.”

With the Rangers and Senators in the middle of the home-and-away series, the scene shifts to Madison Square Garden on Friday. It doesn’t make much sense to people.

But you might be advised to introspect what might happen in the future.

On Wednesday morning, Zibanjad sat across from Lafrenière’s dressing room.

Longtime Senator fans will remember the hype and hope he brought after being so highly elected in 2011.

He played well in a spurt for Ottawa, scoring 74 goals and 87 assists in 281 appearances in five seasons, but his overall game was dwarfed by fellow centers Marc Scheifel and Sean who were selected shortly after him. It was not at the level of a couturier.

Senators questioned whether Zibanejad had enough dedication and commitment to hockey to become a full-time frontline center, eventually replacing him with the Rangers in 2016 for Derrick Brassard. handed over to

But as the hockey world now knows, Zibanjad eventually found his way in New York. In his last four seasons with the Big Apple, he has scored his 105 goals and 125 assists in his 217 games. As for the pressure to play in the big game, he lived up to the call by recording 10 goals and 14 assists in 20 spring playoff games.

“Some people take time, some act quickly, and some do well,” said Zibanejad, now 29. His body is still growing, and so are yours on the ice. ”

Zibanejad says the attention around Lafrenière and kappo is much higher than it was a decade ago, but he has a blueprint for how to handle all that arrives by becoming a top selection. I admit that there is no

“Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever really dealt with it. How do you prepare for that? You don’t. It gives you, it gives you confidence, but it’s a learning curve for everyone.

Given the chance, Zibanjad says he can talk day and night about all the steps he’s taken to find his happy place on and off the ice in New York.

“I learned a lot, and I think I learned a lot from here,” he said. “It’s not that I didn’t get anything out of here, I came to the New York Rangers and it all came. Thank you Senator for drafting me and giving me the opportunity to play in the NHL. Rick Nash You see players like Henrik[Lundqvist]and you learn and understand them along the way.”

Practicing patience with prospects is a challenge for coaches and general managers who need to win in order to survive, but Lafrenière said he wanted to understand what long-term success in the NHL could look like. , you don’t have to look far for role models.

kwarren@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/Citizenkwarren