This idea there’s been mishandling, mismanaging — or whatever you want to call it — of the Rangers’ young talent has plagued the brief tenures of the club’s past two head coaches.
So whatever the new man in charge, Peter Laviolette, said during his introductory press conference Tuesday in regard to his plans for the team’s No. 1-overall and No. 2-overall draft picks, Alexis Lafreniere (2020) and Kaapo Kakko (2019), respectively, it was going to be put under a microscope.
Laviolette did not hesitate to commit to giving the Rangers’ lottery twins every chance to succeed.
“Those young players do need an opportunity to grow,” he said. “They have to be — not given [anything] — but they have to be given the opportunity to be counted on more. I think inside of a team, inside the framework of a team, everybody wants to feel that responsibility. They want to feel valued with what they do.
“And you’re talking about a couple of players who are coming off I think maybe their best years, and they’re still really young players. There’s a growth that goes with that. You certainly would like to see them take the next step: more minutes, maybe a little higher up in the lineup, maybe more power-play time.
“With that, there has to be opportunity. These conversations will take place. I certainly would like that. Those opportunities will be there for them to grab that ice time and to push.”
Not that David Quinn and Gerard Gallant, the two previous bench bosses for the Rangers, said anything vastly different during their introductory press conferences five years ago and two years ago, respectively.
But Laviolette’s apparent understanding of how young players operate — responding well to feeling valued — was a newer tone than we’ve heard from the past two regimes.
Lafreniere, who recorded a career-high 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) last season, is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract.
It’s not that the top-six opportunities haven’t been there at all for the 21-year-old, but they have come with an extremely short leash.
It’s not that Lafreniere hasn’t done anything at all with the chances he’s received, either, but he hasn’t done nearly enough to fulfil the expectations that come with being a first-overall draft pick.
Nor has it been enough to help the Rangers differentiate themselves in their pursuit of a Stanley Cup.
One of Laviolette’s strengths is player relationships.
Perhaps Lafreniere will benefit from a personal relationship with a coach who is known to inspire his players.
On the other hand, Kakko has been calling for more and more responsibility.
Coming off his own career year with 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists), the Finnish winger has made it clear that he wants more ice time, both at five-on-five and on the power play.
He’s yearning for it.
“I think it’s a really good balance and blend [of veterans and youth] right now. Teams in the past that I found success with I think they’ve had that balance and that blend,” Laviolette said before rattling off each and every team he’s coached and highlighted players who fell under the veteran and youth categories. “I think there’s always a balance and a blend on good teams. Those teams can find success and I do think that personnel is here.”