Recalled/Assigned: Andersson to Hartford

[Lundy HOF]

It's not the lack of production from Andersson that bothers me. It's the apparent lack of certain high end skills. I see little creativity and puck poise out of him. It's there in Chytil, you can see it.

This is fair but did Lias ever show an elite characteristic prior to being drafted? He always seemed like he was going to be player that was sort of “jack of all trades, master of none”.

He has produced meaningful results at every stage, including the AHL, up until this point. Still no reason to think he will be a bust but from his limited time getting NHL minutes, I think we can expect a guy who will score a lot of around the net goals although I still think he has an above average shot. I don’t think we will get a guy who wows us, not even in a Patrice Bergeron sort of way.

He is going to be a 2C who wears a little. The guy to “carry the offense” will have to be someone else.

Personally, I think the Rangers will get more or less what they bargained for with the LA pick.

1-2 count and looking up put the ball in play. Happy with a double in the gap.

 

[Inferno]

Yeah. See that’s what I disagree with. Chytil was making good, sometimes impressive, plays pretty often on the 4th line whenever they managed to get the puck into the offensive zone (too rarely). He earned that promotion to more minutes. To me, he’s basically been doing the same things, it’s just that now he’s in the offensive zone more and his line mates can do something with it when he does.

Andersson rarely did anything noticeable when his line managed to get it into the offensive zone.

All this.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Lias continuing his mean streak in the AHL

 

[Good Intentions]

Lias continuing his mean streak in the AHL

Nothing like a secondary assist in the A to get you wet.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Nothing like a secondary assist in the A to get you wet.

Secondary assists aren't cancer. They aren't some throw away stat. Sometimes a secondary assist is just as important. I haven't see the play but him getting on the scoresheet is a good thing regardless. He's a tweener at age 20. Nothing wrong with that

 

[Good Intentions]

Secondary assists aren't cancer. They aren't some throw away stat. Sometimes a secondary assist is just as important. I haven't see the play but him getting on the scoresheet is a good thing regardless. He's a tweener at age 20. Nothing wrong with that

No doubt about it, and I should have prefaced my sassy comment was tongue-in-cheek.

(Heck, Kravtsov’s teammate had a beautiful secondary assist on that first goal yesterday).

 

[McSauer]

Looking back (easy to do, I know) there’s so many other, better choices the Rangers could’ve picked other than Lias (even more than the heavily discussed Middlestadt): Necas, Tippet, Foote, Brannstrom, among others.

He just hasn’t looked like an NHL player on his time at the highest level. He was just outmatched (and he looks REALLY undersized—compared to just about everyone but Zucc)

For our highest pick in over a decade, we go with the ‘safe’ pick, with just top-9 ceiling at this point (do you really see a competitive team in the future where Lias is in your top-6? Seriously?)

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Looking back (easy to do, I know) there’s so many other, better choices the Rangers could’ve picked other than Lias (even more than the heavily discussed Middlestadt): Necas, Tippet, Foote, Brannstrom, among others.

He just hasn’t looked like an NHL player on his time at the highest level. He was just outmatched (and he looks REALLY undersized—compared to just about everyone but Zucc)

For our highest pick in over a decade, we go with the ‘safe’ pick, with just top-9 ceiling at this point (do you really see a competitive team in the future where Lias is in your top-6? Seriously?)

Soooo, he’s worse than players who aren’t NHLers because he’s not NHL ready yet?

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Looking back (easy to do, I know) there’s so many other, better choices the Rangers could’ve picked other than Lias (even more than the heavily discussed Middlestadt): Necas, Tippet, Foote, Brannstrom, among others.

He just hasn’t looked like an NHL player on his time at the highest level. He was just outmatched (and he looks REALLY undersized—compared to just about everyone but Zucc)

For our highest pick in over a decade, we go with the ‘safe’ pick, with just top-9 ceiling at this point (do you really see a competitive team in the future where Lias is in your top-6? Seriously?)

Tippett? As in Owen Tippett?

 

[FireGerardGallant]

Looking back (easy to do, I know) there’s so many other, better choices the Rangers could’ve picked other than Lias (even more than the heavily discussed Middlestadt): Necas, Tippet, Foote, Brannstrom, among others.

He just hasn’t looked like an NHL player on his time at the highest level. He was just outmatched (and he looks REALLY undersized—compared to just about everyone but Zucc)

For our highest pick in over a decade, we go with the ‘safe’ pick, with just top-9 ceiling at this point (do you really see a competitive team in the future where Lias is in your top-6? Seriously?)

None of these guys are in the Nhl currently (hell one is still in Juniors) and lias has produced similarly to all of them. And really Cal foote who has 13 pts in 29 ahl games. If you look at lias numbers at nearly every level he has top 6 upside

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

None of these guys are in the Nhl currently (hell one is still in Juniors) and lias has produced similarly to all of them. And really Cal foote who has 13 pts in 29 ahl games. If you look at lias numbers at nearly every level he has top 6 upside

What Lias has done in the SHL is more impressive than what those have done in Juniors. Brannstrom is great though. Necas as well. But Foote and Tippett?

 

[FireGerardGallant]

What Lias has done in the SHL is more impressive than what those have done in Juniors. Brannstrom is great though. Necas as well. But Foote and Tippett?

I don't get where this limited upside crap comes from. Cuz he isn't flashy enough?? He still produces at similar (if not better) to all these players and a majority of the players taken after lias still arent in the league.

 

[Ghost of jas]

I don't get where this limited upside crap comes from. Cuz he isn't flashy enough?? He still produces at similar (if not better) to all these players and a majority of the players taken after lias still arent in the league.

His skill level is seriously underrated.

 

[JHS]

I think he better get used to Hartford. He may be there for several years to come.

He looked absolutely overmatched at the NHL level. In fact, his only success so far in his career was at levels where the play is much slower. Every player who makes the jump from the AHL to NHL immediately says how much faster the game is in the NHL! Unless Lias improves his skating, this will be one of the worst top 10 draft choices the Rangers have ever made( and there are plenty of others to choose from!). There are so many indicators that this was a terrible pick( speed, offensive upside) that so called scouts overlooked— remember he was sold as plug and play NHL ready on draft day— that really makes me doubt this current staff. You just can’t be so wrong with both philosophy( selecting a slow, poor skater with limited offensive upside in an NHL that’s all built on speed) and execution( not recognizing a current set of skill sets) for me to have faith. This pick stinks of taking the “safe” pick which will lead the Rangers down the path of accumulating more 4th line talent with top picks! If Lias was a second rounder, no one would be complaining or disappointed. Yet, when you are picked in the top 10 and given a chance at the NHL level, you have to be better than invisible at best, and clearly overmatched at worst— unless that’s all your skill set allows you to be!

I hope I’m wrong but I saw nothing in the first 22 games to think otherwise!

 

[egelband]

There are very few players with ‘can’t miss’ skills on draft day. Part of the projection - and I think a very important part - is mental makeup/attitude. The Rangers and I think most of us agree, Lias has an exceptional hockey head. (At least that’s what the reports say). So betting on him made and, I think, still makes sense. I’m not concerned. We expect too much too soon. I’ll get worried in a couple years.

 

[Graves94]

Before we judge and label Lias as this or that, it would be nice to see him play with some talented players for 5-10 games, with consistent minutes. I know he needs to earn the minutes like Howden and Chytil have, but he's always played with 4th liners and not more than 10 minutes a night. Maybe Quinn is showing him some tough love for some reason...

 

[FJB]

He wasn't BPA. Always f***ing draft BPA.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

He wasn't BPA. Always ****ing draft BPA.

Islanders always go BPA and they ended up with Reinhart and Dal Colle in the top-5.

BPA is a myth. It's based on rankings put together by journalists.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Islanders always go BPA and they ended up with Reinhart and Dal Colle in the top-5.

BPA is a myth. It's based on rankings put together by journalists.

How many more times do you think you can repeat this same thing until your brain just starts melting out of your ears? Good on you for trying to bring this beaten-to-death discussion back to reality.

 

[True Blue]

He looked absolutely overmatched at the NHL level. In fact, his only success so far in his career was at levels where the play is much slower.

He hardly looked overmatched. The pace of play was not the issue here.

 

[NYRKing]

Long way to go before we know how Lias will fit, and while there are some very promising prospects selected after him, the over reaction in this thread is absurd.

He's 20 years old and already has shown he can be a top player in the AHL and SHL, which is huge compared to players his age in junior. No question he is not ready for NHL action but few are at his age. His issues imo were adapting to the speed of the transition game and he was trying to do way too much which can happen with a rookie struggling to get minutes, especially when playing with mcleod and the 4th line with zero offense. Not that Lias deserves more minutes, but please tell me what player aside from petterson would have success on this team, on this fourth line, with limited minutes. Ya, it would be pretty damn difficult.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

How many more times do you think you can repeat this same thing until your brain just starts melting out of your ears? Good on you for trying to bring this beaten-to-death discussion back to reality.

I can do this all day

 

[The Crypto Guy]

They took away his assist from last game.

 

[Ori]

I understand it, but not good youth development he should stay in AHL longer before he was called up.

 

[JHS]

He hardly looked overmatched. The pace of play was not the issue here.

Could not disagree more. All you need to do is watch how easily Lias was caught from behind when he had the puck, or was unable to catch up while back checking. The guys slow and can’t keep up with the speed of the game. If you watch the world junior tournament going on right now, it’s obvious the speed of the game at that level is so far slower that it’s not even close. He can compete at that level because he can keep up. He can’t compete at the NHL level because he can’t skate. He has to improve his speed or else this will be a bust pick!

Plus, if you don’t think the speed of the game was Lias’ problem then you have to start to think was it his hockey IQ? His strength? His effort level? His scoring ability?... none of these deficiencies makes his pick any better!