Gérard Gallant had a more than interesting reflection on his new protégé Alexis Lafrenière
While his National Hockey League debut was widely expected, mainly due to his status as the first overall pick, Quebec's Alexis Lafreniere had a lackluster first season in the big league.
However, the second half went much better for him, allowing him to finish the season with 12 goals and 21 points in 56 games.
Reasonable numbers, but far from the expectations that were set in his case.
The Saint-Eustache native will have the chance to get back on track this season, under the watchful eye of new Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant, with whom he has been working since the beginning of the Rangers' training camp.
When asked about the personality of his new protégé, Gallant made a rather surprising revelation, mentioning that Alexis Lafreniere was perhaps a little too confident in his own abilities.
"He's a little too sure of himself. He's not arrogant, but he's relaxed. And that's a good thing. As long as you can handle it the right way and be ready for the game."
Refusing to call Lafreniere "cocky", Gallant believes that this personality trait can become an asset, if he remains focused on the game.
Despite the good words of the Rangers' pilot, this reflection leads us to question ourselves. Did Lafreniere's overconfidence hurt him in his adaptation to the NHL? After all, it was the first time he was surrounded by players as good, and especially more experienced than him.
In short, with one season under his belt, the former Rimouski Oceanic player will have no excuses and will have to learn to control his confidence if he wants to perform well with the young and talented Rangers.
