With a little luck, top pick can fall in Penguins’ lap
A disappointing end to the Penguins postseason could come with an unexpected consolation prize: the No. 1 pick in the draft.
To refresh your memory, when the NHL held Phase 1 of the draft lottery June 26, a placeholder team won. That means all eight teams that exit the postseason in the qualifying round will have the same 1in-8 odds of securing the top pick. The result will be revealed at 6 p.m. Monday on NBCSN and NHL Network.
During a normal season, the Penguins wouldn’t have ever had to worry about the name Alexis
Lafreniere. But after a club with the seventh-best points percentage in the NHL bowed out to the No. 24 seed in the tournament, it’s time to start cramming.
Here’s what you need to know about the skilled winger and
consensus No. 1 overall pick.
• The basics: Age: 18. Birthplace: Saint-Eustache, Quebec. Height: 6 feet 1. Weight: 192 pounds. Shoots: left
• On the ice: Lafreniere has long been considered the top player in the 2020 draft class, and he has lived up to that billing. He brings creativity, playmaking and physicality. He has a good inside game and is not afraid to get to the front of the net. Draft analysts also consistently praise his competitive spirit and second-effort plays.
If you’re looking for a knock on Lafreniere — and it takes some searching — some believe he’s not the fastest or quickest skater. However, his stick skills are good enough that he can make elite moves at high speeds, which helps allow him to play faster than his pure skating ability suggests.
• Crosby connection: In September, Sidney Crosby’s Rimouski Oceanic jersey was lifted into the rafters during a retirement ceremony, as the Penguins captain delivered an emotional speech. From 2003-05, Crosby played two seasons of junior hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Over 121 regular season games, he scored 303 points, including 120 goals with 183 assists. He was named Canadian Hockey League player of the year two consecutive times and helped the Océanic capture the 2005 President’s Cup.
A night that began with Crosby ended with Lafreniere.
He kicked off his second CHL player of the year season by scoring an overtime winner, lifting Rimouski to a 4-3 win.
Crosby ranks second all time in scoring for Rimouski with 303 points over two seasons. Lafreniere is fourth on the franchise list with 297 points over three seasons.
• By the numbers: In three seasons with Rimouski, Lafreniere’s production increased in each season, from 80 points in 2017-18 to 105 last year. This season, he recorded 112 points in just 52 games. His 2.15 points per game average was the highest in the CHL since Connor McDavid had 2.50 in 2014-15.
• How he fits with the Penguins: Lafreniere is an NHLready prospect who could immediately step into a starstudded forward group. He’d play in the top-six instantly.
But where? Maybe he skates alongside Crosby and Jake Guentzel. Or perhaps the Penguins feel Lafreniere’s creativity meshes with a similarly creative forward in Evgeni Malkin.
Either way, he would give the Penguins a piece that helps them maximize their current window — and open a new one.
• Other options: General manager Jim Rutherford has never hesitated to make a trade. This could come in one of two ways. He could either give up the top pick to a team that wants to go into full rebuild mode in exchange for a couple more seasoned veterans or picks. Or, he could trade back in the draft to acquire more assets.
• If the Penguins lose the lottery: So what if the Penguins don’t get the No. 1 pick? In short, they’ll end up with No. 15. The seven teams that lost in the qualifying round will be assigned picks No. 9-15 based on points percentage. Because the Penguins had the highest points percentage among teams that exited early, they’ll have the No. 15 pick.
They’ll have two decisions in this situation. Per the terms of the Jason Zucker trade, the Penguins owe Minnesota a first-round pick in 2020 or 2021. However, they don’t have to make a decision until after the draft lottery. Eventually, they’ll need to decide if there’s a player that interests them in that range or if they want to give up the pick now.