This season was supposed to be the year Lias Andersson made his initial mark on the New York Rangers. It was supposed to be his time to prove the Rangers made the right decision to select him as a top-10 pick in the NHL Entry Draft. In the preseason he did just that but, now he finds himself back in the AHL.
Now while there is nothing wrong with a 20-year-old seeing time in the AHL, how he got to this point is what needs to be questioned. After putting up an impressive training camp, the team decided Brett Howden was the better option for the third line center spot and sent Andersson to Hartford.