Recalled/Assigned: Lias Andersson - Part III (Loaned to SHL)

[Edge]

I don’t think anyone doubted that he could play at the SHL level. He did it as a barely 18 year old centering a second line on a championship level team. So going back as a 21 year old and putting up points isn’t going to turn any heads.

it’s can he play at an NHL pace. That’s all anyone cares about on this side of the pond. Until and or if he ever proves that remains to be seen. So far he hasn’t.

You're right, he hasn't. That's what he still needs to prove.

On the flip side of that. What he's doing now, like what he was doing as a teenager, is a bit more than simply "playing well". It's pretty exclusive company actually.

So that concept, and the concept that he has to translate that success to the NHL, can co-exist. I think it's okay to be mindful that he still needs to do that in the NHL, while being happy or even impressed by what he's doing in the SHL at his age.

 

[JimmyG89]

 

[Ola]

His shot is really something else.

 

[TheDirtyH]

You're right, he hasn't. That's what he still needs to prove.

On the flip side of that. What he's doing now, like what he was doing as a teenager, is a bit more than simply "playing well". It's pretty exclusive company actually.

So that concept, and the concept that he has to translate that success to the NHL, can co-exist. I think it's okay to be mindful that he still needs to do that in the NHL, while being happy or even impressed by what he's doing in the SHL at his age.

Many posters -- specifically those with good knowledge about European leagues and prospects -- repeatedly expressed concerns that Andersson was being rushed and that he would have benefited more staying in Sweden in prior seasons rather than coming over. It is what is is of course; but keeping that conversation in mind, it should be encouraging to see him excel in a large role, still at a young age, overseas.

It looks very much like a young player who is regaining his confidence, gaining important experience in a large and challenging role, and re-establishing the tools that put him in the conversation as a top prospect in our organization. As you say, it still needs to translate and nobody's denying that. But I feel more confident in him as a prospect when he's flourishing -- from a performance and personal standpoint -- than otherwise.

Who knows what his path to the NHL will be, where it will be, and whether it will be. I'm still rooting for him as a Rangers prospect though.

 

[Ola]

One guy said that he hadn’t seen a Swede with a better shot than Andersson since Daniel Alfredsson.

That’s maybe a little over the top, lol, but its nice to see that he gets to use it a lot, stats will always garner a lot of interest.

 

[B17 Apricots]

I think it's important that if he does come back we create an effective 4th line with him centering Brendan Smith and Michael Haley

 

[UnSandvich]

One guy said that he hadn’t seen a Swede with a better shot than Andersson since Daniel Alfredsson.

That’s maybe a little over the top, lol, but its nice to see that he gets to use it a lot, stats will always garner a lot of interest.

That someone's clearly never watched Zibby lol

 

[UnSandvich]

I think it's important that if he does come back we create an effective 4th line with him centering Brendan Smith and Michael Haley

Now now, he played a whole 3 mins more with McKegg than Haley this season, so clearly to make sure he's comfortable, we need to put him back with Smith and McKegg instead of Smith and Haley

 

[CasusBelli]

That someone's clearly never watched Zibby lol

Very similar, but I think Alfie had better accuracy, though Z’s has really improved this season. He always loved the left circle, but too often when he was younger would he Buch one-timers.

 

[B17 Apricots]

Now now, he played a whole 3 mins more with McKegg than Haley this season, so clearly to make sure he's comfortable, we need to put him back with Smith and McKegg instead of Smith and Haley

Yes!

 

[Edge]

Many posters -- specifically those with good knowledge about European leagues and prospects -- repeatedly expressed concerns that Andersson was being rushed and that he would have benefited more staying in Sweden in prior seasons rather than coming over. It is what is is of course; but keeping that conversation in mind, it should be encouraging to see him excel in a large role, still at a young age, overseas.

It looks very much like a young player who is regaining his confidence, gaining important experience in a large and challenging role, and re-establishing the tools that put him in the conversation as a top prospect in our organization. As you say, it still needs to translate and nobody's denying that. But I feel more confident in him as a prospect when he's flourishing -- from a performance and personal standpoint -- than otherwise.

Who knows what his path to the NHL will be, where it will be, and whether it will be. I'm still rooting for him as a Rangers prospect though.

I'm in the same boat as you --- I don't know what his NHL future looks like, or whether it is with us. But as a fan of the Rangers, I always want someone who can either contribute to the team's success, or be be utilized in a manner that allows us to pursue other contributors to our success.

With Andersson, I've seen flashes of the player he can be, and I think his work at the AHL and SHL levels is pretty noteworthy for a player his age. Generally speaking, players with comparable results have typically carved out nice NHL careers. Obviously, all that means nothing to us if it doesn't translate to the NHL level. But, the fact that it exists, shouldn't just be taken as a given either.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

lmfao @ SMACK!*

*clarification: there is a swedish voice in my head, saying it.

 

[Ola]

That someone's clearly never watched Zibby lol

Yeah lol, and I am a bit unaware of these things, but doesn’t Elias Pettersson have like one of the best shots in the NHL?

Besides, for me the question is always academical. What matters is a player’s ability to get of a good shot. Sure Lias can really blast them when he is put in a shooter role on the PP, but you will definitely not see his shot as much in a smaller role.

 

[UnSandvich]

Yeah lol, and I am a bit unaware of these things, but doesn’t Elias Pettersson have like one of the best shots in the NHL?

Besides, for me the question is always academical. What matters is a player’s ability to get of a good shot. Sure Lias can really blast them when he is put in a shooter role on the PP, but you will definitely not see his shot as much in a smaller role.

I wasn't impressed with Pettersson's shot at the WJCs but that's also the only time I've really watched him, so I couldn't really say

 

[NYR Viper]

In fairness, there are very FEW players who excel in areas where they aren't ideally used.

 

[Levitate]

problem is always that at the NHL level it's much much harder to get a clean shot off like that. Even on a power play teams don't usually just let two guys play catch a few times before tee-ing up a one timer. You have to work for the time and space and even then you probably have someone trying to block the shot

Andersson has a nice shot, he somehow never was able to use it much at the NHL level. Whether it's because it's just much harder to do so or because he was being coached to play a different style, I don't know. Using it at the NHL level requires being able to find soft spots in the coverage and being available for passes, while Andersson just tended to tangle up with opposing players and not get open

 

[UnSandvich]

problem is always that at the NHL level it's much much harder to get a clean shot off like that. Even on a power play teams don't usually just let two guys play catch a few times before tee-ing up a one timer. You have to work for the time and space and even then you probably have someone trying to block the shot

Andersson has a nice shot, he somehow never was able to use it much at the NHL level. Whether it's because it's just much harder to do so or because he was being coached to play a different style, I don't know. Using it at the NHL level requires being able to find soft spots in the coverage and being available for passes, while Andersson just tended to tangle up with opposing players and not get open

To be fair, with Greg McKegg and Brendan Smith as your 2 most common line-mates and no PP time, gonna be kinda difficult to actually get enough zone-possession time to get set up for something like that.

 

[UnSandvich]

With his goal today, Lias sits at 12th league-wide in points/game. Goes up to 9th if you make the Games Played requirement equal to 13+ games, or 10th if you make it 2+

EDIT: Among U30 players, he's 8th in P/GP, 6th if you ignore Wilsby and Carenfelt (each of whom has 1 GP)

 

[Inferno]

To be fair, with Greg McKegg and Brendan Smith as your 2 most common line-mates and no PP time, gonna be kinda difficult to actually get enough zone-possession time to get set up for something like that.

The problem to me is that lias' always looked like the weak link on his line..he never looked like he was being dragged down..he looked like he was the one dragging them down.

 

[UnSandvich]

The problem to me is that lias' always looked like the weak link on his line..he never looked like he was being dragged down..he looked like he was the one dragging them down.

Then you and I watched different games. Or perhaps just viewed the same with different biases

 

[Tossed Medal]

And yet McKegg has 5 goals and is on the ice at the end of games in a defensive role often and Anderson got sent to the minors and quit .

 

[Tawnos]

The problem to me is that lias' always looked like the weak link on his line..he never looked like he was being dragged down..he looked like he was the one dragging them down.

I don't know about dragging down, but certainly invisible. One only needs to look at how Lemieux, Gauthier, McKegg, and even Howden have looked playing on the 4th line to realize that playing on the 4th line doesn't mean you can't make an impact. And this is all independent of linemates.

 

[ZiGOODejad]

It’s got to feel good for him that’s he’s playing well, but IMHO I really don’t see a reality where he ends up with the Rangers. Just raise your value so we can get a decent exchange.

 

[UnSandvich]

I don't know about dragging down, but certainly invisible. One only needs to look at how Lemieux, Gauthier, McKegg, and even Howden have looked playing on the 4th line to realize that playing on the 4th line doesn't mean you can't make an impact. And this is all independent of linemates.

Gauthier i'll excuse due to small sample size, but Lemieux's got 4 points since before Christmas, and both Howden and McKegg routinely look like the worst player on their respective lines

 

[Ola]

lmfao @ SMACK!*

*clarification: there is a swedish voice in my head, saying it.

haha, isn’t it in omnomatopoetic in English?