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

[mas0764]

I choose to still have faith he can come be a quality 3C someday and I would refuse to let him go for nothing or essentially nothing.

As part of a larger package for an impact player, sure, but not for a second round pick which has very little chance of panning out. I'll roll the dice with being able to butter Andersson up and teach him to skate better.

 

[The Sweetness]

I’d be thrilled to get a mid-2nd rounder for Lias. Ignoring all the issues with him he also hasn’t grown as an actual player. I think it’s a long shot he becomes an NHL’er, which to be fair is similar to most players drafted in the 2nd round.

However, a 2nd round pick could potentially return more value both in a trade or drafting a decent player down the road.

I’m sure Davidson is being smart though and is way more patient than I am. Hopefully he has a good year in Sweden and ups his trade value a bit. But let’s be honest, what NHL team do you see outs much value into him given 1) his lack of development and 2) his reluctance/lack of drive to play in North America?

 

[NYR Viper]

I’ll just reiterate that if you look at just his point totals in the leagues he has played in, Lias is in line with a player taken towards the end or middle of the 1st round. He’s proven he can play and be a difference maker in the AHL, WJC and SHL, all by 21 years old. Yes the situation as it occurred was unfortunate but people are now downplaying the kids actual hockey skills.

Even if he develops into a heart and soul 3LW that’s still valuable. I’d hang onto him and try to bring him over after his season.

 

[B17 Apricots]

He sucked in the ahl too...is that Quinn's fault?

Chytil and Lindgren didn't make the team...they both busted their asses and became integral parts of the team.

Lias' issues aren't Quinn....his issues are his brains and feet. He's such a lazy player whenever I've seen him.

What Andersson did in the AHL at 19 is what Kreider did when he was 21, Lias has become an engima because there seems to be different versions of him. What we've seen from him early in the AHL, and fighting for a spot in preseason - he looks like the player we drafted him to be, when hes been in a relinquished role he looks disengaged and unconfident.

I'm not one by default to say so and so didnt make it because of a coach, I was not in that crowd for McIlrath. Some guys just cant put it all together simple as that. But to me this isnt an isolated event.

Its easy to forget because Strome has become a VERY good addition but when we acquired Ryan Spooner he was a legitimate budding top 6 talent. Nothing that'll blow the doors away, but Zucc gets moved and Spooner jumps in the top 6 and looks very good in that spot. AV out, DQ in. Spooner doesnt get a single opportunity up in the lineup, opting for more N/S coaches pets, Names, Vesey, Fast. And frankly, I don't have much of a problem with Fast getting 16 minutes a night next to a star, he'll do the dirty work, good D and let Artemi do his thing. But to have Vesey average 16 minutes a game that season with a legit skills guy sitting on the 4th line is just a head scratcher. Then of course we know Spooner bounces to a couple different organizations playing a checking role and the rest is history.

Theres a lot of scratchy personnel choices. We saw it when DQ opted for McQuaid instead of TDA who had a FAR superior preseason. Luckily, he only really gets his chance because of that McQuad injury.

https://nypost.com/2018/10/26/adam-mcquaids-injury-may-lead-to-tony-deangelos-2nd-chance/

And frankly, we saw DQ say the same kind of vague nothing burger stuff with no meaning toward Tony, Buch, Lias, etc.

My thing that frustrates me is to this day we can say look at Howden and Vesey, etc, getting some minutes up and down the lineup and we can talk about whether they look effective there or not or what their ceiling might be and how they stack up so far, but to this day we can never say hey remember when Andersson was getting 15 minutes a night next to Chytil and we saw a lot of upside or hey he looks really terrible. Point is we can only ever really say to this point is remember when our 7th overall pick was getting 10 minutes a night next to a defensemen and Michael Haley

 

[bbny]

Unfortunately, Andersson running away from Hartford shows a flaw in his personality. It comes across as a sense of entitlement. And I was on board with giving him some of Howden's minutes to see what he's got. In the face of adversity, Andersson shriveled up. I'm not sure this can be corrected. It's a learned behavior over many years, and he's not talented enough to get away with it.

 

[Synergy27]

Are there still three Anderssons on HV71? Do they play on the same line?

 

[Inferno]

What Andersson did in the AHL at 19 is what Kreider did when he was 21, Lias has become an engima because there seems to be different versions of him. What we've seen from him early in the AHL, and fighting for a spot in preseason - he looks like the player we drafted him to be, when hes been in a relinquished role he looks disengaged and unconfident.

I'm not one by default to say so and so didnt make it because of a coach, I was not in that crowd for McIlrath. Some guys just cant put it all together simple as that. But to me this isnt an isolated event.

Its easy to forget because Strome has become a VERY good addition but when we acquired Ryan Spooner he was a legitimate budding top 6 talent. Nothing that'll blow the doors away, but Zucc gets moved and Spooner jumps in the top 6 and looks very good in that spot. AV out, DQ in. Spooner doesnt get a single opportunity up in the lineup, opting for more N/S coaches pets, Names, Vesey, Fast. And frankly, I don't have much of a problem with Fast getting 16 minutes a night next to a star, he'll do the dirty work, good D and let Artemi do his thing. But to have Vesey average 16 minutes a game that season with a legit skills guy sitting on the 4th line is just a head scratcher. Then of course we know Spooner bounces to a couple different organizations playing a checking role and the rest is history.

Theres a lot of scratchy personnel choices. We saw it when DQ opted for McQuaid instead of TDA who had a FAR superior preseason. Luckily, he only really gets his chance because of that McQuad injury.

https://nypost.com/2018/10/26/adam-mcquaids-injury-may-lead-to-tony-deangelos-2nd-chance/

And frankly, we saw DQ say the same kind of vague nothing burger stuff with no meaning toward Tony, Buch, Lias, etc.

My thing that frustrates me is to this day we can say look at Howden and Vesey, etc, getting some minutes up and down the lineup and we can talk about whether they look effective there or not or what their ceiling might be and how they stack up so far, but to this day we can never say hey remember when Andersson was getting 15 minutes a night next to Chytil and we saw a lot of upside or hey he looks really terrible. Point is we can only ever really say to this point is remember when our 7th overall pick was getting 10 minutes a night next to a defensemen and Michael Haley

I’ll say what I’ve said about lias since the moment I first saw him. He always looks lazy. I never see him moving his feet. Now i actually doubt its laziness but agree he’s just not,processing the ga,e fast enough to move his feet to go where he needs to go..but it..LOOKS like he’s lazy. And any coach anywhere hates lazy players. He had a few good preseason games and frankly that’s it. He sulked and stunk in Hartford and then cartmaned out of the country.

I hope he turns it around..I really do. But I’ve never seen anything from him that makes me think he actually will.

 

[nyr2k2]

When he first debuted in the AHL he was hungry, played like it, and was very successful given his age. The next year when he started in Hartford he was also hungry and had 12 points in 12 games, which was great given his age in that league.

After that I think he just threw frustrated and started half-assing it, which is a loser mentality. It's also not a mentality that's going to make a more meat-and-potatoes-type guy successful.

I think he plays well in the SHL and is traded. I don't think either side really wants a reunion, despite the things said publicly.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

When he first debuted in the AHL he was hungry, played like it, and was very successful given his age. The next year when he started in Hartford he was also hungry and had 12 points in 12 games, which was great given his age in that league.

After that I think he just threw frustrated and started half-assing it, which is a loser mentality. It's also not a mentality that's going to make a more meat-and-potatoes-type guy successful.

I think he plays well in the SHL and is traded. I don't think either side really wants a reunion, despite the things said publicly.

I guess his last stint in the AHL hinges on how much stock you put into the feet injuries

 

[gravey9]

When he first debuted in the AHL he was hungry, played like it, and was very successful given his age. The next year when he started in Hartford he was also hungry and had 12 points in 12 games, which was great given his age in that league.

After that I think he just threw frustrated and started half-assing it, which is a loser mentality. It's also not a mentality that's going to make a more meat-and-potatoes-type guy successful.

I think he plays well in the SHL and is traded. I don't think either side really wants a reunion, despite the things said publicly.

I totally agree. But I also think the Rangers were always paying for their original sin with Lias. They did not properly evaluate his game after drafting him. They should have left him in Sweden in his D+1 season and D+2 as well. He wasn't ready. And they've paid dearly for that bad initial evaluation and for the upside down way of developing him.

None of that excuses Lias' attitude. None of it.

But one day, I'd like to know if the Rangers and Lias' reps had a conversation about having Lias go back to Sweden after any of his NYR training camps.

If Lias had a convo that was like, if youre keeping me in NA and not playing me then let me go back home and develop and management ignored him and told him to go play in HFD then I would put some of the blame on their doorstep as well. Because, in retrospect, had Lias' team made that request it was likely the right one all along. And NYR management would have been guilty of playing a PR game as opposed to doing what was likely in their own best interest re: prospect development.

 

[Chimpradamus]

It seems alot of you have already forgotten the biggest reason why he left and moved back home was because he had developed depression and that he didn't feel like there was anyone in the NYR organization he felt he could trust to help him, more like stick a knife in his back. It's not easy for a man at such a young age to move to another country, with another culture and make everything click.

The treatment of Lehner when he was open with his mental issues showed how far the NHL has progressed in that department. He was a Vezina nominee with the Islanders and has been treated like garbage by every organization ever since.

 

[Inferno]

It seems alot of you have already forgotten the biggest reason why he left and moved back home was because he had developed depression and that he didn't feel like there was anyone in the NYR organization he felt he could trust to help him, more like stick a knife in his back. It's not easy for a man at such a young age to move to another country, with another culture and make everything click.

The treatment of Lehner when he was open with his mental issues showed how far the NHL has progressed in that department. He was a Vezina nominee with the Islanders and has been treated like garbage by every organization ever since.

Didn't something along the lines of John davdison trying to talk to him and him ghosting jd happen?

If that's the case boo....hoo.

 

[Chimpradamus]

Didn't something along the lines of John davdison trying to talk to him and him ghosting jd happen?

If that's the case boo....hoo.

Probably because Anderson didn't trust Davidson and expected a knife in the back if he opened up to him.

 

[Harbour Dog]

It seems alot of you have already forgotten the biggest reason why he left and moved back home was because he had developed depression and that he didn't feel like there was anyone in the NYR organization he felt he could trust to help him, more like stick a knife in his back. It's not easy for a man at such a young age to move to another country, with another culture and make everything click.

The treatment of Lehner when he was open with his mental issues showed how far the NHL has progressed in that department. He was a Vezina nominee with the Islanders and has been treated like garbage by every organization ever since.

He never had depression. He made vague insinuations about his mental health when he returned home, and then backed way off from that in later statements.

It sounds more like he was dealing very poorly with anxiety by staying up late and playing video games with friends in Sweden.

 

[nyr2k2]

Probably because Anderson didn't trust Davidson and expected a knife in the back if he opened up to him.

Yeah because JD has a reputation as an absolute snake who is always trying to f*** over his players.

 

[kovazub94]

Yeah because JD has a reputation as an absolute snake who is always trying to f*** over his players.

Agree with you, but perception doesn’t need to match with reality and it seems Lias has had a lot of this when it came to his relationship with the Rangers organization.

 

[OrlandK]

Lias is a mediocre skater without any other elite offensive skills to compensate. His skill set doesn't indicate he likely can be an impact NHLer. His difficulty in dealing with the mental aspects of the game, his career, etc. only further diminishes his value. He apparently has little trade value at this point. Best case for Rangers is if he is exposed in expansion draft and Kraken take a flyer on him.

 

[JimmyG89]

It sounds more like he was dealing very poorly with anxiety by staying up late and playing video games with friends in Sweden.

This is definitely something that would need to be addressed in a return. Him being in Hartford just didn't go well together. This hasn't been exclusive to him either and it's not just the guys that have been there recently either.

When their lease is done there, hopefully they look to move that franchise. There is no support for the team. You would think they would draw more, but they don't.

If possible, I hope they could potentially work something out to have them in Nassau or another place locally. Hartford is probably a little closer to the training facilities, but they need to put their prospects somewhere that is closer to home. They can get the ability to be near NYC and still have the drive to make the big club.

 

[East Coast Bias]

This is definitely something that would need to be addressed in a return. Him being in Hartford just didn't go well together. This hasn't been exclusive to him either and it's not just the guys that have been there recently either.

When their lease is done there, hopefully they look to move that franchise. There is no support for the team. You would think they would draw more, but they don't.

If possible, I hope they could potentially work something out to have them in Nassau or another place locally. Hartford is probably a little closer to the training facilities, but they need to put their prospects somewhere that is closer to home. They can get the ability to be near NYC and still have the drive to make the big club.

man i wish they could swipe Utica from the Canucks. Great fanbase. 3 hour drive. Arena is a MSG replica.

 

[UnSandvich]

Tbh, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Andersson cites JD as the reason he stayed with the organization, should he make a return. Andersson's spoken pretty glowingly of him in the past.

My hopes are that Andersson puts together a real good season in Sweden as HV71's 1C, comes back to the Rangers at the end, and never looks back. How likely the latter part is, I'm not sure, but I would not be at all surprised if the former comes true.

He never had depression. He made vague insinuations about his mental health when he returned home, and then backed way off from that in later statements.

It sounds more like he was dealing very poorly with anxiety by staying up late and playing video games with friends in Sweden.

To be fair, anxiety is also a mental health thing.

 

[Levitate]

It seems alot of you have already forgotten the biggest reason why he left and moved back home was because he had developed depression and that he didn't feel like there was anyone in the NYR organization he felt he could trust to help him, more like stick a knife in his back. It's not easy for a man at such a young age to move to another country, with another culture and make everything click.

I admit I have not followed everything that has gone on with Andersson that much but I also do not remember there ever being any info like this put out by him or the team or anyone else. Was there an interview or article sometime this summer? Cuz last I heard it was just a vague "I had my reasons, don't want to talk about it, I'm in a better place" etc etc

This is definitely something that would need to be addressed in a return. Him being in Hartford just didn't go well together. This hasn't been exclusive to him either and it's not just the guys that have been there recently either.

When their lease is done there, hopefully they look to move that franchise. There is no support for the team. You would think they would draw more, but they don't.

If possible, I hope they could potentially work something out to have them in Nassau or another place locally. Hartford is probably a little closer to the training facilities, but they need to put their prospects somewhere that is closer to home. They can get the ability to be near NYC and still have the drive to make the big club.

I wonder how much of it is Hartford itself and how much is just the AHL. I think players coming from other pro leagues probably have some trouble adjusting to the AHL being such a much less popular and "lower tier" league than the NHL and probably compared to teams they were playing on overseas, even if the quality of play isn't a downgrade

 

[Chimpradamus]

I admit I have not followed everything that has gone on with Andersson that much but I also do not remember there ever being any info like this put out by him or the team or anyone else. Was there an interview or article sometime this summer? Cuz last I heard it was just a vague "I had my reasons, don't want to talk about it, I'm in a better place" etc etc

He spoke out in Swedish papers a while after it happened. It was clear cut depression, no question about it. He had a tough time adapting to American culture, living in a big city, not alot of friends like him, etc. To then struggle with the only reason he lived there, that he didn't like some parts of management, that he even thought some of them were detrimentary to his development, well...

He was in a dark hole according to his words. He explained how he felt like living in darkness and that he didn't feel he had anyone to help him. No one he could trust that actually meant him well. No one he could trust. I could try finding the proper articles, but meh, I'm too lazy right now.

But honestly, his story holds up. Lehner admitted and was a Vezina nominee, he is still treated like absolute dirt. He now plays in Vegas after being ditched by NYI, by being ditched by CHI, on a one year contract, modest to his skill. Vezina canditate. Great goalie. Garbage commodity according to corporate language. He's BARELY still an NHL player, despite his qualities as a goalie.

That Swedish guy in Buffalo just left, because he was depressed and he knew. He didn't want to handle any of it. I can't still remember his name. He just quit his career, right there, despite of the millions he would lose. He just couldn't care less, because his life was more important. He just cleaned his locker and left.

Elias has seen what happens to people with psychological problems in the NHL. They are cast out, immediately. It depends on the value of the commodity of course and how much trust the franchise has in that specific cattle, but I can see how he didn't feel he could trust anyone within the NYR organization. In his eyes, just ditching the whole NHL thing was just as good of an option as opening up to some corporate asshole who would just gain a step up in the ladder on that information, by telling leadership he was expendable. So he just ditched it. At his age, if I was depressed, I would probably have done the exact same thing, because no way in hell I would trust anyone hired by a NHL franchise to mean me well. I don't pay their salary.

I actually think he did the right thing for his own mental well being. Because if you're not an alcoholic and only depressed, you're f***ed. That he said so little to NY media says alot. He didn't care about the slandering, he just wanted to get out and didn't care one lick about his reputation. He said basically nothing to NY, but alot more back in Sweden.

If I was NYR, I would trade Andersson, because even if he will ever play in the NHL again, it sure as hell won't be in New York. I don't think he will ever try it again to be honest. That experience burned him deep and I don't think he wants to try again. Maybe in some other place.

Anxiety breeds anxiety and the NHL is a master at growing anxiety for the players.

 

[eco's bones]

To me Lias is where he should be right now. Not likely that he'd win a job with the Rangers at their next training camp and not likely there's going to be an AHL season. I'm fine with him in the SHL and hope he has a good season. If he ends up with the Kraken.....well someone's going to have to go there.

All this said---I think if he wants an NHL career badly enough that he's certainly capable of it. I don't see him as a top 6 forward and I definitely don't see him as a top 6 forward for the Rangers with Zibanejad, Panarin, Lafreniere, Kakko, Kreider, Buchnevich, Chytil and maybe Strome in his way. He just doesn't have enough skills to match those guys. To me he could however carve out a career similar to say someone like Namestnikov who in the right circumstances is a useful player. Could we get a 2nd rounder for him? I don't know--maybe a late one--it would be nice if we could.

 

[Trxjw]

I think it's important to clarify something when comparing Lias' situation to that of Lehner. Being depressed does not necessarily mean you're battling clinical depression or an underlying mental illness. Lehner was diagnosed as bi-polar and was battling addiction issues. Lias may very well have been battling depression while he was here but it's disingenuous at best to draw a correlation with what Lehner was going through.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

At this point, you pretend he doesn't exist for a year. At least. Let him figure himself out, play and hope he finds some success in Sweden. Chalk it up to guys progressing and developing differently and put faith that as he matures, he'll become a late bloomer.