Full disclosure: I do not believe that Lias Andersson is a bust. This needs to be implicitly understood by anyone who might be emotionally reacting to a headline before we go any further. Disappointing though his failure to make the Rangers’ opening night line-up may be, the 19-year-old is still full of poise and promise that should translate to a rewarding NHL career. I whole-heartedly believe that. All of it.
Equally true, however, is the fact that for a second straight year since the Rangers selected him seventh overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Andersson left Blueshirts’ management wanting more.