Prospect Info: Lias Andersson - Part IV

[NYSPORTS]

Interview with Lias in DN in Sweden. Google translated.

”Jag har slagit sönder speglar, lampor och papperskorgar” - DN.SE

"I have broken mirrors, lamps and trash cans"
PUBLISHED 06:40
HV71's Lias Andersson tells in an interview with DN about how his bad mood made the situation in New York unbearable for him.
HV71's Lias Andersson tells in an interview with DN about how his bad mood made the situation in New York unbearable for him. Photo: Thomas Karlsson
JÖNKÖPING. What do you do when reality does not live up to the dream?
When the fear of failure makes simplicity difficult and the joy is gone.
21-year-old Lias Andersson packed his hockey trunk and left New York.
- I ended up in a vicious spiral that I had to break, he says.
Photographer Karlsson has decided to capture a happy Lias Andersson in a picture. It does not take long before he has secured a large number of such. Between each exercise on the training, the 21-year-old walks around with a smile on his face.
But as you know, it can swing quickly in hockey.
At the end of the training, you suddenly hear the sound of a booth door being slammed shut with an angry force. This is Lias Andersson's way of saying that he was not happy with his own efforts in the last change.
- I have a mood that reminds me sometimes. I've had that since I started playing, says Lias with a crooked smile when we ask him after training about the anger against the booth door.
- For the most part, it has been an asset that I am as passionate as I am about hockey. But of course there were times when I was younger - to be honest, there are still moments like that - when the cup overflowed.
In Jönköping, Lias Andersson has found his way back to the joy of hockey.
In Jönköping, Lias Andersson has found his way back to the joy of hockey. Photo: Thomas Karlsson
What did you do?
- Oh, that was a lot, is Lia's spontaneous answer.
- Separately, it was not really that big stuff, but I did a lot of stupid things. I have smashed lamps, mirrors, trash cans and of course a bunch of clubs. In addition, I could completely unnecessarily quarrel with judges and opponents.
- Today I think I'm better at using anger in the right way, not like a few years ago when I could incur unnecessary expulsions. Now I try to use it as a lighter fluid both for myself and the team, and avoid it putting us in the shit.
For those of us who also wrote about your father Niklas (15 seasons in Frölunda and 10 seasons in the NHL / AHL), he appeared to be the world's calmest player. Did he fool us or do you have two completely different moods?
- Yes, he cheated a little. It burns quite well in him too, says Lias and laughs.
- On the other hand, he was much better than I am at showing off a "stone face". This is where I also want to reach.
The training is over and 21-year-old Lias Andersson loads the plate full of rag donut and pork, which is today's lunch.
- I think it's fun with food, he says.
- Not in the way that I myself am a particularly good chef, even though I try to get better, but I like to try new dishes and try new restaurants.
We are sitting in the lunch restaurant in HV71's home arena Husqvarna Garden.
It was to Jönköping that Lias Andersson moved as a teenager when he left his parents' home in Kungälv to start hockey high school. And that was where he returned when his time in the New York Rangers came to an abrupt end.
- In HV, I feel safe. Here they know me inside and out. Although home will always be where the family lives, Jönköping feels like my second home.
21-year-old Lias Andersson believes that he ended up in a vicious circle in the USA. Bad mood led to sleep problems and poorer performance on the ice.
21-year-old Lias Andersson believes that he ended up in a vicious circle in the USA. Bad mood led to sleep problems and poorer performance on the ice. Photo: Thomas Karlsson
In his old club, the 21-year-old has been allowed to land softly. Something that was needed after a tough time in New York.
- Because I did not feel good outside the hockey field, I did not get what I wanted on the field at all, says Lias Andersson about the last months in New York.
I no longer even thought it was super fun to play hockey, and then it was time to research myself. Because even though hockey is incredibly important to me, I also want to feel good as a person.
The 21-year-old ended up - as he calls it - in a vicious spiral that made him unable to perform on the ice because he did not feel well outside. And when he could not perform on the ice, it made him feel worse outside.
When it was at its worst, he had difficulty sleeping, which of course made it even harder to play good hockey in the world's best league.
- In the past, I have usually, no matter where I have been, had a fairly large role in the team with the task of delivering and performing. When you feel that you are no longer delivering but start making simple mistakes both in training and in matches that you have never done before, and can barely even cope with the basics like putting a pass right, it's tough.
- Then you start to doubt yourself, and then you are affected both as a player and as a person.
- I no longer even thought it was super fun to play hockey, and then it was time to research myself. Because even though hockey is incredibly important to me, I also want to feel good as a person.
Lias Andersson made his debut for the New York Rangers in March 2018, and became a goal scorer already in the premiere.
Lias Andersson made his debut for the New York Rangers in March 2018, and became a goal scorer already in the premiere. Photo: Kostas Lymperopoulos / TT
For a long time he wrestled with his mind on his own.
- From the beginning, I did not talk to anyone about it, even though both the family and the agents obviously suspected that something was wrong.
- It was like something that was gnawing at my head all the time, but at the same time something that was difficult to explain.
In the middle of it all, Lias was injured, and when he was moved down to Rangers' grandfather team Hartford Wolf Pack in November last year, he did not join the team within the stipulated 24 hours. As a result, Rangers fired him without pay.
Lias had reached a limit when it was no longer possible to remain silent about how he was feeling.
- I am a very impulsive person, and have previously made quite impulsive decisions, so when I said I wanted to go home, the first thought of everyone around me was "now he has something for himself again", says Lias with a smile .
- However, they quickly realized that it was both seriously meant and well thought out, and both family and friends supported me in a fantastic way. Not to mention my agents who did a great job. So I have many to thank for feeling as good as I do today.
Lias continues with a determined voice:
- And I really want to emphasize that I went home had nothing to do with the fact that I did not want to play in the grandfather league. I felt almost worse when I was in the NHL than when I was there.
On Saturday 19 September, Lias Andersson will face his former club Frölunda in the SHL premiere.
On Saturday 19 September, Lias Andersson will face his former club Frölunda in the SHL premiere. Photo: Thomas Karlsson
In the months since you left home, have you regretted your decision?
- No, I have not done that, but I can say that I am sorry that it turned out the way it did. You do not want to put any club or association in the shit.
Back home in Sweden, he had no thoughts of making a comeback on the ice in the near future, but when he got the chance to play for HV71 in January, he felt ready.
With the pandemic, the season was short, already on March 15 it was over.
What would happen this season was a question mark for a long time, but when the New York Rangers agreed to loan him out, Lias knew he wanted to stay in HV.
- When I had turned everything around, I came to the conclusion that what I need most of all now is continuity in both hockey and everyday life. I get that here, says Lias.
The contract with Rangers expires after this season, and what happens then is not something that Lias wants to talk about. For the first time during our conversation, he is silent for a while before saying:
- Sometimes it feels like many people forget that I am only 21 years old and that I still learn things both as a player and as a person.
- I have realized that it does not work to go around on the ice and think that I should "show myself" to play for a contract next season. Therefore, I have let go of the thoughts of what will happen in the future and focus on doing the best I can this season.
“When I had turned everything around, I came to the conclusion that what I need most of all now is continuity in both hockey and everyday life. I get that here ”, says Lias Andersson about life in HV71.
“When I had turned everything around, I came to the conclusion that what I need most of all now is continuity in both hockey and everyday life. I get that here ”, says Lias Andersson about life in HV71. Photo: Thomas Karlsson
It's a special SHL season that kicks off on Saturday. The corona virus causes it to start in front of empty stands.
HV71 has a large and loyal home crowd, and the pressure in the arena is high class.
- Usually we get that extra ride from the audience, many times it really feels like we are a player more when the audience takes in. Now it is up to us players to give each other that ride on those days when you are a little unfocused, says Lias.
- So far, I think we have done very well. We are on top of each other in training, and compete against each other.
It is when we talk about the importance of the audience that the conversation takes a new turn and begins to be about football.
Several of the football hallsvenskan's large audience teams have had a difficult season. Among them is Lias Andersson's favorite team IFK Gothenburg.
- The only bright spot this season has been the cup victory.
Should I watch a match on TV, I choose football before hockey. If I watch a hockey match, it is not relaxation in the same way. Then I mostly sit and look at details that I can learn something from.
In an attempt to climb up the table, Gothenburg has, among other things, recruited home Pontus Wernbloom. Something that Lias applauds.
- Wernbloom is one of my favorite players. He also comes from the Kungälv region so I have always had a good eye for him. His energy will be important for the team, says Lias.
- I do not know him as a person but I like that he is straight and honest while he keeps a twinkle in his eye and does not take everything so seriously.
Lias played football himself until he was 13-14 years old.
- I think football is fantastic fun, and if I am going to watch a match on TV, I choose football before hockey, he says.
- If I watch a hockey match, it is not relaxation in the same way. Then I mostly sit and look at details that I can learn something from. However, when I watch a football match, I can only enjoy the game

Thanks for sharing. A great find. A few lines i took notice of including the following:

- What do you do when reality does not live up to the dream?

- It was to Jönköping that Lias Andersson moved as a teenager when he left his parents' home in Kungälv to start hockey high school.

- Separately, it was not really that big stuff, but I did a lot of stupid things. I have smashed lamps, mirrors, trash cans and of course a bunch of clubs. In addition, I could completely unnecessarily quarrel with judges and opponents.

- Sometimes it feels like many people forget that I am only 21 years old and that I still learn things both as a player and as a person.


IMO, the above speaks to what i have posted about. Kid from a distant country with big dreams, nothing to fall back on, finds himself going from the big lights on NY to a desolate room practically alone in Hartford. He was confused, alone, scared, lost.

Part of this is without question on the Rangers. They have to do a better job of taking care of these kids.

 

[IronBloodedLion]

I hope he finds happiness wherever it may be, whether it’s here, another team, or in Sweden.

 

[gravey9]

Thanks for sharing. A great find. A few lines i took notice of including the following:

- What do you do when reality does not live up to the dream?

- It was to Jönköping that Lias Andersson moved as a teenager when he left his parents' home in Kungälv to start hockey high school.

- Separately, it was not really that big stuff, but I did a lot of stupid things. I have smashed lamps, mirrors, trash cans and of course a bunch of clubs. In addition, I could completely unnecessarily quarrel with judges and opponents.

- Sometimes it feels like many people forget that I am only 21 years old and that I still learn things both as a player and as a person.


IMO, the above speaks to what i have posted about. Kid from a distant country with big dreams, nothing to fall back on, finds himself going from the big lights on NY to a desolate room practically alone in Hartford. He was confused, alone, scared, lost.

Part of this is without question on the Rangers. They have to do a better job of taking care of these kids.

Lias is a real interesting case. There's sorta two things going on with him that make me think he shouldn't come back to the NHL for a few years.

1. There's something in his psychological makeup that needs to mature and it's specifically tied to failure and disappointment. And i'm not trying to be crass or judgmental but empathetic here. I think being in North America, mostly alone, exacerbated a pre-existing condition that made him miserable. I understand how many in Pro sports, especially old school guys, would see this as a weakness. But if he has something blocking him mentally he must find ways to overcome if he wants to succeed in the NHL and/or playing in NA. If he isn't already, I hope he considers seeing a sports psychologist or a therapist as i think he can surmount this and grow from it.

2. The other thing that's holding him back is his footspeed. I don't even mean skating. I just mean quick twitch. I remember seeing a swedish traning video last year or maybe the year before and Lias was training with other prospects on some agility/footwork drills and his feet were noticeably slower. Like shockingly. Like I thought I'd witnessed the zapruder film for the first time.

As a result, to succeed in the NHL, he will need to think the game and anticipate at a very, very high level. If he can't think the game at that Marc Savard or Derek Stepan level or somewhere close it likely means his ceiling is 4th line or a AAAA guy. And in that case, he's better off staying in Europe where he can get paid more and the game is a bit slower and there's more time/space to make plays.

I think his best shot at making the NHL is on a team like Ottawa or Detroit. Or, like Arizona if they have to sell off most of their NHL assets.

 

[Unusual Suspect]

No interest in torching this kid and hope he finds his way to a more settled and successful mindset. That said, despite all the acknowledgements that he's young and the various aspects of moving to another country and dealing with high expectations being a recipe for possible mental havoc... the fact remains that he is an outlier in this regard. Most top European prospects don't experience this sort of meltdown despite facing similar hurdles. I'm not at all sure we see him in North America again any time soon, and I don't think his public comments are enhancing his trade value any. This is looking more and more like a write-off. I just have my fingers crossed Kravtsov won't end up a carbon copy.

 

[Speedtrials]

As a Ranger fan its a bummer that a 7th overall pick fizzled out in such strange circumstances. Of course something I've been use to for the past couple decades of being a fan.

However, from the human side of things, I am glad the kid is finding some happiness and peace in his life.

 

[eco's bones]

What strikes me is we moved too fast on Lias. It's understandable in that the Rangers hadn't had a 1st rounder in something like 5 years and then later on in his draft +1 season where he kind of lights up the WJC management decides to blow the team up......and that kind of put both him and Filip in the spotlight going forward. I think there's some confusion over what position he's best suited to play (I like him as a wing much more than a center and it's because of his skating) and what roles he can fill. The confusion eventually leading to disappointment all the way around.

Anyway I'm expecting the Rangers to move on from him.

 

[NYSPORTS]

Lias is a real interesting case. There's sorta two things going on with him that make me think he shouldn't come back to the NHL for a few years.

1. There's something in his psychological makeup that needs to mature and it's specifically tied to failure and disappointment. And i'm not trying to be crass or judgmental but empathetic here. I think being in North America, mostly alone, exacerbated a pre-existing condition that made him miserable. I understand how many in Pro sports, especially old school guys, would see this as a weakness. But if he has something blocking him mentally he must find ways to overcome if he wants to succeed in the NHL and/or playing in NA. If he isn't already, I hope he considers seeing a sports psychologist or a therapist as i think he can surmount this and grow from it.

2. The other thing that's holding him back is his footspeed. I don't even mean skating. I just mean quick twitch. I remember seeing a swedish traning video last year or maybe the year before and Lias was training with other prospects on some agility/footwork drills and his feet were noticeably slower. Like shockingly. Like I thought I'd witnessed the zapruder film for the first time.

As a result, to succeed in the NHL, he will need to think the game and anticipate at a very, very high level. If he can't think the game at that Marc Savard or Derek Stepan level or somewhere close it likely means his ceiling is 4th line or a AAAA guy. And in that case, he's better off staying in Europe where he can get paid more and the game is a bit slower and there's more time/space to make plays.

I think his best shot at making the NHL is on a team like Ottawa or Detroit. Or, like Arizona if they have to sell off most of their NHL assets.

great post and thank you.

- yes, there is a lot of psychological issues here. I have blamed the Rangers while i do recognize there are likely other players in a similar boat who didn’t jump ship. So there is some accountability from the player

- quick twitch is often the difference. Thanks for sharing what you saw in a video. I recall Anderson did display nice pretty articulate hands when in alone on a goalie yet he’s often a little stiff out there. IMO, often quick twitch and good hips go hand in hand. Chytil looks to have quick hips and his hands are fast. Obviously Panarin has it. Andersson looks a little stiff.

 

[charliemurphy]

Hey maybe at the end of the day Howden gets plucked by Seattle then Lias comes in and takes over and the rest is history. It's lining up perfectly.

Howden, the next Lindberg. I don't doubt it at all.
I've been pulling for Andersson but I don't see him having a future here in NY. I anticipate Barron pushing for that position.

 

[NYSPORTS]

Howden, the next Lindberg. I don't doubt it at all.
I've been pulling for Andersson but I don't see him having a future here in NY. I anticipate Barron pushing for that position.

the only way this cap is going to work long term is filling these positions internally IMO.

 

[NYRangers0723]

As a human being I sympathize with his mental health and hope he is doing well in life. However from a fan perspective I feel like this was a major red flag that was missed by Clark and the FO/scouts. I mean a big part of the reason we picked him out as because he was mentally tough. The silver medal thing was the first sign that I knew something was off

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

As a human being I sympathize with his mental health and hope he is doing well in life. However from a fan perspective I feel like this was a major red flag that was missed by Clark and the FO/scouts. I mean a big part of the reason we picked him out as because he was mentally tough. The silver medal thing was the first sign that I knew something was off

As someone who is involved in interviews a lot, I wonder how you can identify this beforehand. I don't think it's as easy as some may think. Sure, it is a red flag in hindsight, but when Lias Andersson had his combine interviews, other teams came away with positive feedback from that as well. It wasn't just the Rangers.

There are just some things you can't see coming.

 

[Leetch3]

As someone who is involved in interviews a lot, I wonder how you can identify this beforehand. I don't think it's as easy as some may think. Sure, it is a red flag in hindsight, but when Lias Andersson had his combine interviews, other teams came away with positive feedback from that as well. It wasn't just the Rangers.

There are just some things you can't see coming.

obviously the rangers should have a crystal ball

 

[Tawnos]

As someone who is involved in interviews a lot, I wonder how you can identify this beforehand. I don't think it's as easy as some may think. Sure, it is a red flag in hindsight, but when Lias Andersson had his combine interviews, other teams came away with positive feedback from that as well. It wasn't just the Rangers.

There are just some things you can't see coming.

Evaluating the psyche of a 17 or 18 year old to project what they'll be even a year later is incredibly hard when you're talking about short interviews like this.

I still think it wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to suspend next year's draft and change the age to 19.

 

[NYSPORTS]

As a human being I sympathize with his mental health and hope he is doing well in life. However from a fan perspective I feel like this was a major red flag that was missed by Clark and the FO/scouts. I mean a big part of the reason we picked him out as because he was mentally tough. The silver medal thing was the first sign that I knew something was off

i’ve been critical of the scouts and the Rangers while it is a two way street.

The lack of quick twitch has been mentioned and that should have been picked up.

Personality wise, i would keep a close eye on all kids. I don’t care what they and their coaches say. The coaches want recognition their player gets drafted while the kids are only kids. Honestly, a face to face interview lol, how deep an interview can you have with a kid? They literally don’t know much.

Now sit down and review video. Open the communication and ask them what they see, why they made a pass, what they may have done differently, etc i think only helps. Tell me what you learned. Tell me more, etc helps and weeds out those who may not be as aware.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Evaluating the psyche of a 17 or 18 year old to project what they'll be even a year later is incredibly hard when you're talking about short interviews like this.

I still think it wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to suspend next year's draft and change the age to 19.

Imagine the interview process this year. Having to talk to these kids on Teams/Zoom/Skype and not in person. It complicates things even more. This draft has gone from the deepest in almost 2 decades to it potentially being a complete crapshoot due to the circumstances

 

[NYSPORTS]

As someone who is involved in interviews a lot, I wonder how you can identify this beforehand. I don't think it's as easy as some may think. Sure, it is a red flag in hindsight, but when Lias Andersson had his combine interviews, other teams came away with positive feedback from that as well. It wasn't just the Rangers.

There are just some things you can't see coming.

you can’t with simple question and answer.

Would you ask Lias why he threw a medal into the stands? Of course not, you risk he would walk out of your interview which effects your media brand you strive to grow.

In a job interview, you bet you tail you ask. If the dopey team views that action as passion without digging deeper then shame on them.

Not easy to uncover. People lie and psychological profiling doesn’t tell the whole story. Ironically, (wish i had a link) there is a profile which identifies the most likely QB to be successful. It’s a more calm and cerebral personality. Meanwhile, that same personality doesn’t bode well for an NFL safety. Of course, chalk talk is biggie for athletes and i love to use in business. Given this set of circumstances, what do you do? Even then, the likable response could be bias.

 

[gravey9]

As someone who is involved in interviews a lot, I wonder how you can identify this beforehand. I don't think it's as easy as some may think. Sure, it is a red flag in hindsight, but when Lias Andersson had his combine interviews, other teams came away with positive feedback from that as well. It wasn't just the Rangers.

There are just some things you can't see coming.

This is VERY true. My wife is a therapist and she's very good at spotting untreated diagnoses. But thats just a hunch based on experience. It's still takes weeks/months and beyond to get a full picture of someone's mental health (for professionals). And that would be further complicated when talking with teenagers who are notoriously withdrawn when it comes therapeutic situations. It's more akin to an interrogation often.

The medal tossing incident is a prime example of how a single decision could be interpreted in a number of ways psychologically. Is it a sign of impulse control issues? Depression? Perfectionism? A moment that is ultimately just a rare circumstance? Impossible to know without having a thorough understanding of the person's makeup.

Lastly, the hockey world is an incredibly homogenous community. It's still a quote-unquote "man's world." While the old stigmas around therapy have been going away large parts of the world -- male dominated worlds like pro sports still operate with that stigma. Just think how shocking it's been to hear Lias open up several times about his mental state. It's sooo rare to hear that from a pro hockey player (unless someone's talking about a goalie!) that for people who are used to talking about therapy every day, it's still totally shocking.

Point is, red flags about someone's mental capacities are a) hard to identify in small windows of time. b) can easily be confused with being "overly competitive" etc. c) to succeed in pro sports to the highest levels, there are LOTS of very successful players that have long careers with undiagnosed mental illness. Because there are plenty of mental illnesses that are entirely acceptable, if not fostered by team sports environments.

Finally, I will say this -- mental health evaluations, if they are not routine in hockey, should be. I say this not as some advocate for mental health (though I guess I am), I say this because of CTE and concussion symptoms that can often show up first in someone's personality. If the doctors treated said patient don't already have an understanding of the person's baseline mental health and personality, it can make it harder to diagnose and catch early warning signs of brain injury.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Finally, I will say this -- mental health evaluations, if they are not routine in hockey, should be. I say this not as some advocate for mental health (though I guess I am), I say this because of CTE and concussion symptoms that can often show up first in someone's personality. If the doctors treated said patient don't already have an understanding of the person's baseline mental health and personality, it can make it harder to diagnose and catch early warning signs of brain injury.

Nothing wrong with being an advocate for awareness of mental health. Great post. Agree with everything you said. The macho culture doesn't allow for people to come forward with what is bothering them.

 

[NYRangers0723]

As someone who is involved in interviews a lot, I wonder how you can identify this beforehand. I don't think it's as easy as some may think. Sure, it is a red flag in hindsight, but when Lias Andersson had his combine interviews, other teams came away with positive feedback from that as well. It wasn't just the Rangers.

There are just some things you can't see coming

.

Maybe. I’m not saying it’s totally their fault. I understand it’s not always easy to find flaws in personality. But the way they were talking about him was as a better version of Jesper Fast on and off the ice. I’m wondering if there were indeed signs that were overlooked

 

[Levitate]

What strikes me is we moved too fast on Lias. It's understandable in that the Rangers hadn't had a 1st rounder in something like 5 years and then later on in his draft +1 season where he kind of lights up the WJC management decides to blow the team up......and that kind of put both him and Filip in the spotlight going forward. I think there's some confusion over what position he's best suited to play (I like him as a wing much more than a center and it's because of his skating) and what roles he can fill. The confusion eventually leading to disappointment all the way around.

Anyway I'm expecting the Rangers to move on from him.

I think the Rangers need to learn a bit from him and Kravtsov (though with Kravtsov it's maybe tad different considering contract status and wanting to get a KHL player under a deal before he signs for a longer term over there) in that both of them seemed to really want to speed up their NHL arrival, pushed hard to come over and get their chance quickly, and the Rangers obliged them. I would suspect in both cases it's because they were playing in pro leagues already and the thought could be "they're doing well there, the shift to the NHL may not be as big" but in both cases we also see the stress and disappointment of not making the NHL becoming an issue.
Even if the players think they're ready and are pushing for it, the Rangers need to be able to evaluate this better and find appropriate places for them to play and develop.

As a human being I sympathize with his mental health and hope he is doing well in life. However from a fan perspective I feel like this was a major red flag that was missed by Clark and the FO/scouts. I mean a big part of the reason we picked him out as because he was mentally tough. The silver medal thing was the first sign that I knew something was off

I think I've said this before in threads about Andersson, but the line between "insanely competitive" and "prone to getting too down on themselves and getting in a funk and depressed" can be pretty thin. I would guess that most scouts saw all of this as the signs of a fiery competitor who hates to lose and will do anything to win, not just a kid who has had trouble regulating the ups and downs of his emotions and worry about not being able to get out of the down times.

 

[NYRangers0723]

I think the Rangers need to learn a bit from him and Kravtsov (though with Kravtsov it's maybe tad different considering contract status and wanting to get a KHL player under a deal before he signs for a longer term over there) in that both of them seemed to really want to speed up their NHL arrival, pushed hard to come over and get their chance quickly, and the Rangers obliged them. I would suspect in both cases it's because they were playing in pro leagues already and the thought could be "they're doing well there, the shift to the NHL may not be as big" but in both cases we also see the stress and disappointment of not making the NHL becoming an issue.
Even if the players think they're ready and are pushing for it, the Rangers need to be able to evaluate this better and find appropriate places for them to play and develop.



I think I've said this before in threads about Andersson, but the line between "insanely competitive" and "prone to getting too down on themselves and getting in a funk and depressed" can be pretty thin. I would guess that most scouts saw all of this as the signs of a fiery competitor who hates to lose and will do anything to win, not just a kid who has had trouble regulating the ups and downs of his emotions and worry about not being able to get out of the down times.

. You may be right. There is no doubt that he is a competitive kid so I can understand why it would be hard to decipher between the two like you said

 

[Kovalev27]

Let’s delete this entire thread

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Let’s delete this entire thread

Or just put it on ignore

 

[Kovalev27]

Or just put it on ignore

You know I’d miss it

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

You know I’d miss it

Hahaha. You can't help yourself