Confirmed with Link: Lias Andersson asks for trade. No longer with NYR.

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Gropp doesnt count in all of this he has been hot garbage and Reunanen was never stayin anyway. I think with the other two they believed their own hype and felt they were locks to make the big club this year and were upset when they didn't. Andersson and Kakko both should have went to Hartford to start the year. I'm a firm believer in making players earn their ice and in following a road map towards the nhl. So going to the AHL until you prove you are ready for the next step is the best way imo. This way there are no expectations of making the nhl out of junior, and if the kid starts in Hartford and tears it up he comes up, if he still isnt ready he goes back down, imo it's less of a shock.

Gropp counts when we are talking about this issue.

Europeans need the AHL to get seasoned, for the most part the CHL players are used to this style of play, size of rink, schedule and travel. There is a lot to get used to for euros on the team. There are gonna be missed picks anywhere but imo CHL players overall are more NHL ready.

And yet a lot of Canadians still need time in the AHL. And there are enough examples of Europeans who make the NHL without ever needing time in the AHL.

The difference isn't nationality. It's skill.

 

[SML2]

At the time Lias was drafted, I don't think he was necessarily a bad pick. The problem is the organeyezation found guys better at what they wanted him to do than he is. Chytil is the up and coming offensive C. Howden is the third line two way guy. Lemieux is the prototype up and down gritty winger. Lias was never going to beat out legit NHL guys like Kreider, Panarin, Buch. Is he a better winger than Fast? No. Who is he better than? So why are we insisting he should have gotten better linemates when the players who got those linemates were all better than him? So we wasted a 7oa. Ok. The 21oa worked out. Call it a wash and let the lesson to the young players be that draft day is not a finish line, it's a starting gate. If you don't show up ready to run, you're going to get passed by.

 

[haohmaru]

What were everybody's expectations for this guy? Personally, I thought his ceiling was a 3rd line center/character guy and that's the highest level he could achieve. I'm just a little surprised at the length and depth of the conversation about him. It wasn't a great draft after the top 5.

 

[rangers1314]

This is a realistic proposal, IMO.

Gut feeling - Gorton puts Lias on ice and makes him even more irrelevant than he is now.

Well that would be a horrendous decision from an asset management POV. Hopefully they allow him to go back to Sweden and play there.

I don't see this resolved until the summer.

 

[Good Intentions]

Gropp counts when we are talking about this issue.

And yet a lot of Canadians still need time in the AHL. And there are enough examples of Europeans who make the NHL without ever needing time in the AHL.

The difference isn't nationality. It's skill.

Agree - the difference isn't nationality, but it's also more than skill. I could reel off dozens of factors, from physicality to travel to women to family to confidence ...

I've said it before, the product that you see on the ice is extremely fragile. Forget the actual kids - these professionals are kids themselves. Player x had too much beer last night. Player y is low-key upset that some girl didn't message him back this morning. Player x strained his groin hurdling the turnstile.

 

[Good Intentions]

Well that would be a horrendous decision from an asset management POV. Hopefully they allow him to go back to Sweden and play there.

I don't see this resolved until the summer.

and therefore put on ice...that's essentially what i just said.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

What were everybody's expectations for this guy? Personally, I thought his ceiling was a 3rd line center/character guy and that's the highest level he could achieve. I'm just a little surprised at the length and depth of the conversation about him. It wasn't a great draft after the top 5.

His ceiling when initially drafted was a top 6 center who was responsible defensively and a great leader. At the time it was like trading Stepan for someone who could turn into Stepan down the line

Now, the only way I think he will succeed is at wing, and he’ll max out as a third line guy.

 

[rangers1314]

and therefore put on ice...that's essentially what i just said.

Sorry - when I read the phrase "put on ice" I took it as basically not allow him to play in SHL an make him sit out.

 

[SA16]

Gropp does not count. He's already a bust and just didn't want to play at an even lower minor league level. Very understandable. He will probably retire and do something else or go play in Europe for a few years.

 

[Synergy27]

Agree - the difference isn't nationality, but it's also more than skill. I could reel off dozens of factors, from physicality to travel to women to family to confidence ...

People want to twist this argument to make it sound racist. It’s not about nationality, it’s about growing up in leagues that essentially play a different game due to rink size and systems designed for said rink size. Some guys can step right into the NHL with no problem. Most can’t.

 

[Good Intentions]

People want to twist this argument to make it sound racist. It’s not about nationality, it’s about growing up in leagues that essentially play a different game due to rink size and systems designed for said rink size. Some guys can step right into the NHL with no problem. Most can’t.

Racist isn't the word, but we are in agreement. I'm taking it a step further and saying there are dozens of factors that come into play within the equation.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Unless the Rangers get very lucky and a team is willing to give good value for Lias, he should remain suspended.

Andersson didn't do himself or the team any favors by spouting off his demands publicly. He's diminished his value as an underachieving quitter. A very stupid move on his part.

I dont think they are completely related, but after what Kravstov pulled the Rangers need to make an example out of this situation and bury Lias without pay for as long as it takes to get decent value for him (which may be a very long time or never).

 

[Kupo]

Lias just isn't able to process the game at the speed required for him to be a successful NHL-er.

A lot of 20 and 21 year olds have a problem adapting to the speed of the game, which is why they need to play regularly.

I always felt Lundqvist plays his best hockey when he’s playing a lot. He gets into a rhythm.

Playing sporadically isn’t going to help a young player find a groove. 3-4 shifts a period? When your confidence is already low?

I would have liked to see Lias with a month or two of 15+ minute games with linemates that can play some type of possession game. As a rebuilding team we have the luxury of time.

If Lias has that opportunity, do you think that would have helped him process the game quicker? I do. But if it didn’t, we at least could have said we put him in a situation to succeed and he failed to take advantage of it himself.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Krahn
Leclaire
Bouchard
Barker
Picard
Brule
Bourdon
Sheppard

Drafting Europeans isn't the problem. There are enough Canadian/American busts in the top 10 over the years

Bourdon doesn't apply here.

But there are plenty of others who do.

Dal Colle
G. Reinhardt
McIlrath
Ellerby
Hamill
Glennie
Cowen
Pouliot
Flurey
Ritchie

And there will be a ton more.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Gropp does not count. He's already a bust and just didn't want to play at an even lower minor league level. Very understandable. He will probably retire and do something else or go play in Europe for a few years.

awful pick even when he was drafted. NHL shot and nothing else. sounds like a bigger Brandon Pirri. those players are useless

 

[RangersFan1994]

Krahn
Leclaire
Bouchard
Barker
Picard
Brule
Bourdon
Sheppard

Drafting Europeans isn't the problem. There are enough Canadian/American busts in the top 10 over the years

Luc Bourdon died, hard to call him a bust. unless it is another Bourdon.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

How about Lias for JFK.

One disgruntled Swede for another. Played under Quinn at BU so at the very least you know that he'll get a long leash.

 

[rangers1314]

How about Lias for JFK.

One disgruntled Swede for another. Played under Quinn at BU so at the very least you know that he'll get a long leash.

Is JFK disgruntled?

Edit - I didn't see that he went back to Sweden last summer. Maybe there is something that could be done around those two.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Is JFK disgruntled?

He left the Bruins to go back home so I think so unless there is something else going on there.

 

[offdacrossbar]

i was wrong on lias.

i prefer my crow grilled with sea salt, pepper and fresh garlic butter melting on top.

 

[rangers1314]

He left the Bruins to go back home so I think so unless there is something else going on there.

Yeah I just saw that. Interesting. I think that Rangers would need to add but its something worth looking into.

 

[NYR Viper]

I don’t think Lias’ value has dropped as far as some here are believing.

 

[nyr2k2]

I don’t think Lias’ value has dropped as far as some here are believing.

I believe @Edge mentioned something about there being some degree of perception, at least with some teams, that the Rangers didn't handle this that well. So while they would of course try to use "the situation" as leverage, the actual perceived value of Andersson may not be quite as bad as some think.

Or it could be. Who f***ing knows.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Luc Bourdon died, hard to call him a bust. unless it is another Bourdon.

People call Cherepanov a bust.

 

[Raspewtin]

What were everybody's expectations for this guy? Personally, I thought his ceiling was a 3rd line center/character guy and that's the highest level he could achieve. I'm just a little surprised at the length and depth of the conversation about him. It wasn't a great draft after the top 5.

(this isn't really directed towards you but this is a convenient spring board for my thoughts)

1. It's been two years so we cannot definitively say that.

2. Multiple prospects drafted after Lias have shown consistent YoY growth as players with more upside. Even ignoring Lias' uneven development, what was the best you could say about him? Exactly what you said, a 3rd line character guy. I know that after Glass most of the draft choices had their own problems but IDK about you but I'd rather swing and (maybe? not really) miss on a Tippet or Vilardi or Necas. I can live with a draft choice not going well but the organization's heart was in the right place. I can't live with the organization valuing the wrong things in the highest pick they've had in two decades and STILL getting it wrong.

3. The conversation is bigger about Lias than it should be because he's a characterization of this team's frustrating philosophy when it comes to evaluating talent. They went "safe" and picked the future captain blah blah type and STILL struck out swinging. Again I'm willing to accept players busting. They're children, it's bound to happen. But again, I'd rather go for the awesome talent and strike out than go for diet Brandon Dubinsky at absolute best.