Alexis Lafrenière could follow the same path as another Quebec star
In his second season in the National Hockey League, Alexis Lafrenière is not progressing as expected. In fact, his statistics are even slightly down, as he has only nine goals and 13 points in 45 games so far this season.
This disappointing contribution is starting to draw criticism from the first overall pick in the 2020 Draft. In order to get out of this slump, he could be inspired by the career of a player he was often compared to when he was in the junior ranks.
Jonathan Huberdeau may be at the top of the NHL scoring charts today, but many forget that he too faced criticism in the past.
Here is his progression in each of his ten seasons in the Bettman circuit.
As you can see, the Panthers' number 11 had only 28 points in his second campaign, and it wasn't until 2017-18 that he managed to reach the 60-point plateau.
This year, Huberdeau is on pace to break the 100-point plateau for the first time in his career. Not to say that Alexis Lafreniere will ever make 100 points, but this comparison proves that you have to be patient in his case, as every player progresses at a different pace, regardless of their status.
It is far too early to call the former Rimouski Oceanic a "flop".
