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Which NHL teams do or don't deserve Alexis Lafreniere |
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When it comes to dealing with the pandemic, the NHL and NHL Players Association, got everything right, except how to deal with the NHL draft.
Some team officials, and many fans, are still angry over the idea that eight qualifying round losers get an equal chance of drafting Lafreniere tonight while the Detroit Red Wings draft fourth.
At least the Los Angeles Kings are going to pick second.
But some qualifying round losers are more deserving than others to win the
Alexis Lafreniere Sweepstakes. Here is my take on who deserves the French Canadian star:
Deserving: Winnipeg Jets: The team received unreasonably bad luck when they lost Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine to injury in the first game of the playoffs. The Jets overcame considerable adversity just to make the top 24. They have a passionate fan base that is too often overshadowed by the larger markets, particularly in Canada. It seems like players don't want to play in Winnipeg, mostly because it's darn cold and it isn't Toronto or Montreal. Winnipeg deserves a reward for perseverance
Undeserving: Edmonton Oilers: If the Oilers secure the No. 1 pick again, fans everywhere outside Edmonton are going to be upset. Very upset. How many chances do the Oilers get to be saved?
Deserving: Arizona Coyotes. Lafreniere posted 112 points in 52 games in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Imagine what he could do for the Coyotes franchise. He could be the player that assures that the Coyotes survive in the desert. The Coyotes badly need to improve their offense, and Lafrieniere could help considerably.
Undeserving: Pittsburgh Penguins: Two weeks ago, the Penguins were considered a Stanley Cup contender. To award them Lafreniere would not be in the spirit of what the NHL draft is supposed to be about. Mario Lemieux. Sidney Crosby. Then Lafreniere. Fans outside of Pittsburgh would be irate. Very irate
Deserving: Florida Panthers: The Panthers are starting over again in South Florida with a new general manager. Landing a premium young scorer would be a good start for a makeover. Plenty of French Canadian retirees spend winters in Florida.
Undeserving: Toronto Maple Leafs: How could it be fair for the NHL's No. 3 offensive team to be able to draft an offensive wizard like Lafreniere? Pandemic or not, this lottery should not work like this.
Deserving: Minnesota Wild: The Wild have always lacked a national profile, and perhaps Lafreniere could help them develop one. He could add a layer of pizzazz to the Wild bunch.
Undeserving: New York Rangers: You can make a case that the Rangers deserve their Lafreniere shot because they may or may not have qualified for the playoffs if the 2019-20 season had gone 82 games. That's a fair argument. But the Rangers have built-in advantages, like the fact that many free agents want to play in the Big Apple. The Rangers were a rebuilding team, but Artemi Panarin wanted to play there. It's hard to root for the Rangers to get Lafreniere because they were lucky.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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