Hockey Prophets

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Height: 6'1 (185 cm) 
Weight: 192 (87 kg) 
Age At Draft: 18.73
Points per Game (normalized): 2.15
A/P Score: -3.80 (8^th)
Key Strength: Superb skill set mixed with intense competitive nature
Key Question: How great can he become?

Coming into the season, Lafreniere was the only choice for the first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft. However, Quinton Byfield’s early dominance in the OHL led some prospect watchers (professional and amateur) to wonder if he might be a legitimate contender to challenge for the first overall pick. At the World Junior Championships—the biggest prospect stage in the game—Lafreniere obliterated all doubts about his status with a dominating performance. He was simply the best player on the ice in every game in which he played in the Czech Republic and in fact was named the tournament MVP despite missing time with a leg injury.

Lafreniere combines a full package of skills that make him the clear top prospect in one of the best high-end drafts in years. Although he may not have the blistering speed of Conor McDavid, Lafreniere has shown a steady improvement in his straight-line skating ability over the last two years, and his current top end looks to be bordering on excellent and should continue to improve. His edgework and conservation of speed during glides and changes of direction appear to be excellent, as well. His turns and stops are precise, tight and controlled, showing balance and agility even under contact.

Lafreniere’s game truly sparkles, however, in his hands, vision and offensive creativity. He shows that class of stick skills that sets the superstar playmakers apart from the rest: his stick appears to be an extension of his vision. Like a Formula One driver who seems to be one with his car, Lafreniere’s stick simply executes the opportunities that he sees on the ice. He finds passing lanes and openings where none are evident, and his hands do what he needs without hesitation or apparent thought. One outstanding example came in a game versus Sweden at the 2018 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, in which Lafreniere—at full speed through the neutral zone—received a pass from his right that was three feet behind him by reaching back with one hand on his stick and one-touch redirecting the puck to his left perfectly on the tape of his winger also in full stride. It was a remarkable play that highlighted everything that Lafreniere brings to the game. He also shows patience with the puck, never rushing plays or showing any effects of opposition pressure, even though he attracts plenty of it.

On top of his obvious offensive abilities, Lafreniere plays a good defensive game with some physicality. His uses his stick to disrupt passing lanes, poke away pucks or lift sticks, and he has shown an aptitude for taking the puck from opposing carriers. He does not get a lot of time in the defensive zone, however, because he constantly pushes the game into the offensive zone.

In short, Lafreniere may not quite reach that sublime level of the generational player that McDavid or Sidney Crosby have proven themselves to be, but Lafreniere is close.