The Rangers sent Lias Andersson to the AHL to start the season. This came as a shock to some people. But when you look at past Rangers’ development, this choice isn’t as bad as it seems.
When the New York Rangers released their final roster after training camp, there was one notable name missing from the list, Lias Andersson.
The Rangers drafted Andersson seventh overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. They acquired that pick in the trade that sent Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta to the Arizona Coyotes.
Andersson played a part of last season in the Swedish Hockey League with Frolunda HC. He also played in the IIHF World Juniors Championship before finishing the season with the Hartford Wolfpack in the AHL and finally the Rangers.
Now, putting the silver medal incident aside, Andersson had a successful WJC. He captained Team Sweden to a silver medal and recorded seven points in seven games.
In 22 games with Frolunda HC, he earned 14 points. He scored the same amount in 25 games with the Wolfpack.
After ending the season with the Rangers, the expectation was that Andersson would make the roster out of training camp. Especially with a rebuilding lineup that is focused on the youth movement.
However, people were shocked to see that Andersson was sent down to the AHL and would start the season in Hartford. Filip Chytil, the Rangers other first round pick from 2017, made the roster out of camp.
While the decision to send Andersson down may seem confusing on the surface, it actually makes sense. He is also not the first Rangers player in recent history to spend his first season(s) between the NHL and AHL.
These “irregular” development paths can actually benefit a player and lead to future success. Two examples of that for the Rangers are Chris Kreider and J.T. Miller.
Three years a rookie
Let’s start with Kreider. The Rangers drafted him 19th overall in 2009. He spent the next few years playing at Boston College and for Team USA at the World Junior Championship. He went on to win two national titles at BC and a gold medal in 2010 with Team USA.
In the 2011-12 season, after his second NCAA title, Kreider signed with the Rangers. He played in 18 playoff games and had seven points.
Unfortunately for Kreider, the 2012-13 season began with a lockout. So he began the season with the then-named Connecticut Whale in the AHL until the NHL season started on January 19, 2013.
In the 23 games played that season, Kreider only had three points. The Rangers made the playoffs yet again and he earned two points in eight games played.
Now, this was somewhat disappointing for him, as he scored about a point per game in his last year at Boston College. So he began the 2013-14 season in the AHL again.
This did not last long, however. The Rangers recalled Kreider from Hartford after just six games, and he was here to stay.
Since then, Kreider has been an integral part of the Rangers offense and is now on the top forward line with Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. The road to the NHL was a bit rocky at first, but now Kreider is a top forward and leader for this Rangers team.
Tough love to exhaustion
J.T. Miller’s career with the Rangers was a more of a rollercoaster.
The Rangers drafted Miller 15th overall in 2011. He played the 2011-12 season in the OHL with the Plymouth Whalers, recording 62 points in 61 games.
That was good enough for the Rangers to assign him to the Connecticut Whale for the AHL playoffs. Like Kreider, he started the 2012-13 lockout season in the AHL and then joined the Rangers in January.
The next couple of seasons were trying times for Miller. The Rangers hired Alain Vigneault to be their new head coach, and his issues with Miller were no secret. As a result of this tumultuous relationship, Miller spent half of the 2013-14 season and 18 games in the 2014-15 season in the AHL. He wouldn’t play a full NHL season until 2015-16.
In that first season, Miller proved why he should be with the Rangers full-time. In 82 games, he had 22 goals and 21 assists for a total 43 points. He increased that total the next year for 56 points in 82 games.
The Rangers could never fully repair Miller and Vigneault’s relationship though and sent him to Tampa Bay in a trade along with Ryan McDonagh last season.
Final thoughts
These two players’ stories are important for providing context for the decision to send Andersson to Hartford. He is only 19 years old and will have plenty of time to thrive in the NHL. For now, time in the AHL could be more beneficial to him.
In Hartford, Andersson can play top-six minutes and take the opportunity to develop and fine-tune his game. He already has two points in two games with the Wolfpack.
If Andersson was in the NHL right now, he would be most likely in the bottom-six forwards of a struggling, rebuilding team. He would possibly be on a line with players like Cody McLeod, which could hurt instead of helping his development.
Kreider and Miller are perfect examples of why sending first round draft picks to the AHL in their age 19 season is not the end of the world. If Andersson does not need to be in the NHL right now, why not allow him more time to grow and improve his game with top-line treatment in the minors?
Andersson’s path to the NHL does not have to be a clear, straight line up just because he is a top-10 draft pick. Time in the AHL benefitted Rangers prospects in the past, and it will do the same for him. There even still the chance that he could be recalled at any point this season in case of injury or if he proves himself totally ready.
Let’s be completely honest with ourselves. The Rangers will not be good this season. There is no rush for Andersson to come to the NHL and be a star. That will come in time, but patience is the key right now.