Everyone is obsessed with stats, but the teams are more patient and don’t sweat them.
Andersson looked fine to me and could have stayed as a dependable 4th liner. He’s not a dynamic player, but he definitely is a player. Even if he becomes and excellent 3rd or 4th liner, getting nightly contributions beyond traditional stats will be more than enough to placate the fan base and help the team contend again.
They will suck again next year so Andersson will have plenty of chances to work on his game. I like players who give a crap.
If they draft a top center or two in 2019, it will either push Lias to compete more or simply move him to wing.
Chytil/Howden/Lias is very good center depth for a rebuild.