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Lias Andersson

Lias Andersson To Remain In SHL For The 2020-21 Season

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The Lias Andersson saga continues.  The Rangers youngster, who walked out on their farm team midseason to return to Sweden while demanding a trade, declined an invitation to rejoin the team for their Qualifying Round series.  It seemed like the invitation alone as an olive branch was a small step in the right direction in terms of trying to get him to return to North America but that doesn’t appear to be the case.  Instead, Andersson announced in a video on HV71’s Twitter page that he will remain there for the 2020-21 season.

It has been a rough couple of years for the seventh pick of the 2017 draft.  After holding his own with the Rangers and AHL Hartford as an 18-year-old, it looked as if he’d be an important part of their future.  However, his development has stagnated since then and he had a minor role with New York to start the year, averaging just 9:33 per night in 17 games before being sent to the Wolf Pack.  Things didn’t go much better there as he had just four goals and an assist in 13 games before leaving the team to go home in the hopes of getting a fresh start somewhere else.

He didn’t get the trade he was seeking though and instead, the two sides eventually settled on a loan agreement where he’d join HV71 to finish out the season.  He was much more productive there, collecting a dozen points in 15 games while seeing his playing time jump to 15:45 per night.  Understandably, both the SHL squad and Andersson were happy with that which prompted him to ask to be loaned out again, a request that New York has evidently granted.

While Andersson may be happy with this outcome, it certainly doesn’t help his chances of getting dealt in the NHL.  He’s under contract for next season already (the final year of his entry-level deal) which means he’ll count against the 50-contract limit and now that he has committed to staying there longer, the chances of the Rangers getting full value for his services certainly has dipped as a result.  At 21, Andersson still has some upside but he’ll be showcasing himself to other NHL teams overseas for a little while yet.

Lias Andersson Will Not Return To Rangers For Postseason

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Disgruntled New York Rangers prospect Lias Andersson is apparently still upset with his NHL club. The 21-year-old forward was loaned to the SHL’s HV71 in his native Sweden in late January after he had requested a trade out of New York in December. However, after a lengthy amount of time apart, the Rangers decided to offer Andersson a spot at training camp and on their playoff roster, according to the New York Post’s Larry Brooks. However, Brooks reports that a source told the Post that Andersson has declined this invitation and will remain in Sweden. This could very well be the last straw for the Rangers and Andersson.

Andersson, the seventh overall pick in 2017, has openly expressed his displeasure with his role in New York and it eventually led him out of town. The problem is that the talented forward does not have the numbers to back up his argument. Yes, Andersson is a skilled player who flashed incredible offensive ability in the SHL at a very young age and was worthy of his draft slot. However, in three seasons in North America the young center has recorded just nine points in 66 NHL games and 39 points in 74 AHL games. The production simply has not matched the hype and few would fault the Rangers for using Andersson sparingly while they wait for his talent to catch up with the pace of NHL play.

Unfortunately, it now seems like the Rangers are unlikely to see Andersson reach his potential (if he ever does). With bridges all but burnt, Brooks expects that he will remain in Sweden until he is traded. However, The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello does point out that Andersson is under contract with New York next season and the Rangers will have the final say as to where he plays. Regardless, that is unlikely to be the Big Apple. It’s all hands on deck for the Rangers, one of the more unlikely playoff teams in the NHL’s expanded postseason, but when Andersson is needed the most, he has opted not to answer the bell. For a player lauded for his work ethic and leadership ability in the draft process, Andersson has failed the Rangers at every turn and they likely face little choice now but to try to get a fair return back for the troubled prospect.

New York Rangers Loan Lias Andersson To SHL

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The New York Rangers announced they have loaned suspended forward Lias Andersson to HV71 of the SHL. While the team had been looking for a potential trade partner for their disgruntled forward since he walked out on his AHL team on Dec. 21, the team has decided that allowing him to play overseas for now is the best case for his continued development and could drum up some interest before the trade deadline.

Despite being drafted seventh-overall back in 2017, Andersson hasn’t lived up to his billing, having scored just six points in 42 games with the Rangers in 2018-19 and got even less playing time this year. In 17 games with New York, Andersson played mostly on the fourth line, averaging just 9:33 per night, and tallied just one assist in that time. He was eventually assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack where he scored four goals and five points in 13 games, but was also seeing a decline in his playing time, which wasn’t going to help him return to the Rangers squad. Unhappy with his playing time and frustrated that he still wasn’t with the Rangers, Andersson choose to walk away from the team and demanded a trade, where the team responded by suspending him. He returned to his home country of Sweden not long after that.

Since then, Andersson has been in direct contact with Rangers team president John Davidson for the past few weeks and was rumored to be working out with a low-level team in Sweden. The 21-year-old should be quite familiar with HV71 as he played with the team for two years before he was drafted, scoring nine goals and 19 points as a 17-year-old in 2016-17.

With little trade value at the moment, the Rangers have to hope that Andersson can continue his development in the SHL and improve that value, although it would seem unlikely that all that can happen before the trade deadline. Being a seventh-overall pick, New York would expect a solid return for a 21-year-old player and aren’t likely to give the youngster away for less than that. If Andersson can become one of the team’s top players and put up some numbers over there, he could improve his stock and either opt to return to the team or give the team a better chance to trade him.

Lias Andersson Practicing With Swedish Club

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There hasn’t been much communication between the New York Rangers and prospect Lias Andersson since he left the organization and was subsequently suspended, but that has started to change according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. Brooks reports that the young forward has been communicating directly with team president John Davidson for the last ten days. That report comes after one earlier today that indicated Andersson has started skating with a low level team in Sweden as he works toward whatever future his playing career holds.

Andersson played 17 games for the Rangers and 13 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL this season but hasn’t yet lived up to the top billing he received as the seventh-overall selection in 2017. The 21-year old center made an incredible impression in his first training camp with the team after being drafted, but has since been in a sort of limbo, switching leagues and roles often.

Through 66 games at the NHL level Andersson has scored just nine points, meaning any trade out of the Rangers organization would be giving up an asset at its lowest value. Brooks notes that the Rangers have given their approval to get him skating again, though he does not suggest what the next step would be at this point.

Andersson’s entry-level contract extends through the 2020-21 season, after which he would become a restricted free agent.

Metropolitan Notes: Andersson, Crosby, Devils Injuries, Farabee

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New York Rangers team president John Davidson emphasized to reporters Friday that the team has not begun divorce proceedings with prospect Lias Andersson, who has been suspended after requesting a trade on Dec. 21 and leaving the team, and now is sitting in Sweden. In fact Davidson said he wants to speak to him one-on-one to see what the real issue is that he opted to leave the team, according to Newsday’s Denis Gorman.

“It’s a really hard one to figure out until you really end up talking to Lias,” Davidson said before practice at the MSG Training Facility on Friday. “I’ve gone and done a lot of research. I can’t figure out exactly what the issue is other than disappointment.”

Davidson said he has already tried to reach out to Andersson personally, but the prospect has chosen to allow his agents to handle things and he has failed to speak to him up until now. He hopes to get an opportunity to talk to him soon, but also noted that a trip to Sweden won’t be happening any time soon.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins may be playing well, but the team might be getting a big boost as star Sidney Crosby could be ready to go on Sunday against Arizona, although it still remains up in the air, according to TribLive’s Seth Rorabaugh. Crosby practiced Saturday without limitations and participated in line rushes alongside right wing Patric Hornqvist and both Jared McCann and Dominik Simon on the left wing. He also practiced on the top power play unit. Crosby, however, was noncommittal about returning on Sunday. “I haven’t ruled out anything,” Crosby said. “But I haven’t really discussed it that much. I just got off the ice here.” Crosby has been out since Nov. 9 after having core muscle surgery.
  • NJ.com’s Chris Ryan reports that goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, who isn’t starting Saturday due to an upper-body injury, shouldn’t be out long-term, according to head coach Alain Nasreddine. “We don’t have a concern that it will be long term,” Nasreddine said. “So it’s just precautionary and is getting evaluated.” The team also hopes that rookie Jack Hughes is skating again, but isn’t just ready to return, meaning he will miss his fifth-straight game Saturday with an upper-body injury. However, Ryan adds that forward Jesper Bratt, who has missed three games after blocking a shot with his foot, is ready to return Saturday.
  • Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said that while rookie forward Joel Farabee has struggled for a while now, it doesn’t look like the team intends to return the 19-year-old to the AHL any time soon. Farabee, who has tallied just one goal in his last 27 games and has been demoted to the fourth line, will likely stay due to his penalty killing abilities. “I’d like him to score [more] and get a little more confidence, but he’s got a lot of attributes,” Vigneault said. “There are a lot of things he does with the puck and without the puck that we like, so we’re going to stick with him.”

Trade Rumors: Andersson, Islanders, Avalanche

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As if it wasn’t complicated enough when Lias Andersson, the New York Rangers first-round pick at No. 7 overall in 2017, demanded a trade from the team last month, TSN’s Darren Dreger states that as the situation continues to unravel, things are getting “messy”. Andersson, who was suspended by the Rangers after leaving the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, has returned to his native Sweden for the time being. In the meantime, rumors have swirled that the 21-year-old is dealing with mental health issues, a sentiment that Andersson’s camp is now fighting back against. Where there is some documented injury is in his foot, and Andersson is set to undergo surgery shortly that will keep him sidelined for multiple weeks.

Yet, teams are still not shying away from kicking the tires on the young forward. Despite his discontent with his role in the Rangers organization and his lack of production in the NHL and AHL, Andersson’s history of strong work ethic, good teamwork, and immense skill persists, and NHL clubs will continue to keep tabs on him. Dreger’s colleague Bob McKenzie believes that the Rangers are ready to move on and preparing to trade Andersson before the NHL Trade Deadline if they can get “the right prospect” in return. McKenzie does warn though that New York is cognizant of the message that this could send to other prospects in their system and want to be careful with how they deal with the Andersson situation.

  • When the New York Islanders lost stalwart defenseman Adam Pelech for the season due to injury, GM Lou Lamoriello was quick to note that “You don’t replace an Adam Pelech at the trade deadline”. The shutdown defender is relied upon for big minutes and competent defensive play that is not easy to replicate. The Islanders’ plan is to handle the loss internally for the time being, mixing their defensive pairs until they find the right fit. Thus far, the results on the back end are “encouraging”, writes The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. However, that doesn’t mean that the Islanders won’t be on the lookout for defensive help ahead of the trade deadline. Yet, Staple believes that the team’s current scoring doubt shows that offense is still a greater concern than defense, even with the absence of Pelech, and that the team should devote more of their trade capital to improving up front rather than on the blue line.
  • For much of the season, the Colorado Avalanche have been talked about as one of the biggest suitors on the trade market. A legitimate Stanley Cup contender with considerable cap space, it makes sense that the Avs could choose this year to load up for a run. However, Colorado did not land Taylor Hall despite rumored interest and now Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater reports that they are no longer pursuing another top option. Dater writes that Los Angeles Kings forward Tyler Toffoli will likely not be landing in Denver this season, as the Avs have apparently falling out of the running for the two-way winger. Dater is beginning to doubt if Colorado makes any big moves this season in an uninspiring trade market.

Metropolitan Notes: New Jersey, Andersson, Fines

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The New Jersey Devils have played better under new head coach Alain Nasreddine, going 5-6-2 after today’s shootout win against the Boston Bruins. Even if the playoffs are an unlikely goal at this point, they may still be looking at upgrades on the trade market. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his latest 31 Thoughts column that he believes New Jersey is “considering” some of the excess defensemen that the Buffalo Sabres have been trying to trade.

Rasmus Ristolainen, Marco Scandella and Zach Bogosian are the names that have been speculated on most over the last few months, though it’s not clear exactly who the Devils would be after. The Sabres have eight legitimate NHL options, not even including names like Lawrence Pilut and John Gilmour who are currently in the minor leagues.

  • Friedman also writes that New York Rangers prospect Lias Andersson is back in Sweden again after recent reports that he was in North America after the holidays. The young forward left the Hartford Wolf Pack earlier this month and was subsequently suspended, after requesting a trade out of the organization. Friedman suggests that the Rangers are treating Andersson just like the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars with their own discontented players, still valuing them as “young former first-rounders”—whatever that exactly means—in trade talks.
  • Evgeni Malkin earned himself a $5,000 fine for high-sticking Jean-Gabriel Pageau last night, not the first time he’s been disciplined for hitting someone in the head/neck area with his stick. Pageau earned his own $2,500 fine for roughing during the incident.

Evening Notes: NHL Laceration Task Force, Andersson, Veleno

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After a scary incident on Friday in which Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev had his wrist sliced open as New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt skated over him, the NHL laceration task force will meet during the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada. It was the second incident in 10 days after the New York Islanders’ Cal Clutterbuck had his hand cut open by the skate of Boston’s Patrice Bergeron.

“They monitor any of these incidents that happened,” said Johnston. “And they will be meeting at the All-Star Game in St. Louis, I think to discuss in part, is there maybe some more mandatory changes that might be coming down the pike at some point, because obviously everyone recognizes that these are very serious and potentially catastrophic situations.”

  • New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that, little surprise, there hasn’t been much interest in New York Rangers forward Lias Andersson, who left the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack and was suspended on Dec. 20 after requesting a trade. Andersson has struggled at the NHL level over the past few years, having tallied just nine points in 66 NHL games. Even in Hartford, he has just three points in his last 10 games, suggesting that he’s struggling even in the minors. Brooks writes that Andersson spent the holiday with his family in New York and it’s unclear if the Rangers’ organization would accept him back if he asks if he can return. Regardless, there seems to be no indication that a trade is likely to happen any time soon.
  • With Team Canada already without Alexis Lafreniere on Monday against Germany at the 2020 World Junior Championships, the team lost another forward as well as the IIHF announced that their disciplinary panel has announced that Joe Veleno, a Detroit Red Wings prospect, has been suspended one game for head butting Russian defenseman Danil Misyul, a New Jersey Devils’ prospect. The incident happened in the middle of the second period of Saturday’s game in which the two got into a confrontation. Veleno head butted Misyul twice, the second time more aggressively. The 19-year-old Veleno has one assist so far in two games for Canada.

Lias Andersson Requests Trade

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Sunday: As expected, the New York Rangers have suspended Andersson for leaving the Hartford Wolf Pack following his trade request, according to New York Post’s Larry Brooks.

Saturday: Rangers prospect Lias Andersson has had a limited role with the team this season and it appears he has had enough.  TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that the youngster has asked for a trade and is no longer with the team.

Andersson, the seventh overall pick in 2017, has split this season between New York and their AHL affiliate in Hartford.  With the Rangers, he has spent time at both center and the wing but has almost played exclusively on the fourth line.  Overall, he has just a single assist in 17 games with the big club while logging just 9:33 per night.  He hasn’t been overly productive with the Wolf Pack either since joining them in mid-November, notching just four goals and one helper in 13 contests.  That hasn’t helped his chances for a recall which likely helped fuel this request.

The 21-year-old hasn’t had much stability since being drafted.  He split his post-draft season between the SHL and the AHL (with a seven-game stint with the Rangers) and then had 36 AHL games with 42 NHL contests a year ago with this season following a similar pattern.  That type of frequent change can certainly slow down development for many players and that has likely been the case here.

Considering he was the centerpiece of a deal that saw New York also land defenseman Anthony DeAngelo (with Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta going the other way) back at the 2017 draft, this isn’t a situation where the Rangers are going to be willing to just take whatever they can get for him even with Andersson leaving Hartford.  Despite his struggles, there is still some upside which should result in considerable trade interest.  While the roster freeze is in effect for another week, that should give GM Jeff Gorton an opportunity to call around the league to get a sense of what type of market there’s going to be and how quickly a trade can be done.  Even if they do find a deal to their liking though, Andersson’s tenure with New York can only be classified as disappointing.

Oilers Notes: Larsson, Puljujarvi, Bear, Bouchard

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The Edmonton Oilers look to be getting back a key player as defenseman Adam Larsson is expected to be close to a return, likely in the middle of the week. The Edmonton Sun’s Kurt Leavins reports that the team will likely make some roster moves either Wednesday or Thursday for a potential return against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

The scribe writes the team will have to make a corresponding move when they activate Larsson, who has been out since the first game of the season with a broken leg. The likely candidates to be sent to Bakersfield of the AHL would be either Caleb Jones or Joel Persson, with Persson being the more likely candidate. The 25-year-old, who signed out of the SHL, could use some time in the AHL to allow the game to slow down for him. He has only appeared in 10 games for the Oilers so far.

  • Edmonton Sun’s Jim Matheson relays that while the Oilers have been rumored to be considering a potential swap of Jesse Puljujarvi for the New York Rangers’ Lias Andersson, he wonders if that potential trade makes much sense. The scribe writes that the scouting book on the Swedish center is that he is a bottom-line forward who lacks pace to his game. While Puljujarvi hasn’t fared well so far in the NHL, there is still belief that he has the potential to be a top-six option still.
  • In a separate tweet, Matheson writes that there aren’t many comparables for Ethan Bear, who will be hitting restricted free agency this summer. Bear, has looked good this year in his first full season with the Oilers, posting three goals and seven points in 22 games. He writes the best comparables are Neal Pionk’s $3MM deal with Winnipeg or Ryan Pulock’s $2MM deal with the New York Islanders.
  • The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) names his top Edmonton Oilers’ prospect in his winter evaluation, naming defenseman Evan Bouchard for a second straight year. Bouchard is the first player to repeat as the team’s top prospect in more than a dozen years. The 20-year-old blueliner scored 16 goals and 43 points with the OHL’s London Knights last season and has continued to play well as a professional this year with the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL where he has three goals and nine points in 10 games.

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