New York Rangers: What to make of the Lias Andersson situation

The New York Rangers’ front office elected to assign 20-year-old forward Lias Andersson to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack on Friday afternoon.

In the arch of player development, there is no clear-cut checklist of benchmarks. There is no single checklist of accomplishments any prospect can hit and ensure that they will be a success at the professional level. Even the best players at the amateur and developmental level can struggle to find their footing as a professional and take years to do so.

In electing to send Lias Andersson back to the AHL after 21 games at the NHL level, the front office is sending a clear message: we have plenty of time let’s not rush this. Player development is somewhere between an art and a science and the Rangers’ organization knows that all too well based on its recent history.

Some players, like Kevin Hayes, were ready to contribute right away when they came to the NHL. To be fair, the Boston native was also several years older when he made his professional debut. So, when it comes to Andersson, the clock may be ticking, but there is an awful lot of time remaining on it.

It’s slightly discouraging to see that Andersson has failed to find his footing at the NHL level. No team’s executives within the player personnel department or fans want to see a young player go through growing pains. However, it’s all part of the process and something the Rangers specifically are going to have to deal with a lot in the next several years.

Organically rebuilding an organization through the draft takes time. Having a small army of draft picks and prospects is imperative because of the fact that drafting and development take time and resources. In theory, the more prospects and draft picks an organization has in its control, the greater the chances will become a transcendent player.

While some may be concerned about the impact of burning a year off of Andersson’s entry-level contract, there is absolutely zero percent chance that the Swede was going to spend the entire 2018-2019 seaosn in the AHL. Simply put, crying over spilled milk is a pointless endeavor and something for those who cannot see the bigger picture.

To be frank, things are bigger than Andersson alone. The Rangers’ front office has embarked on building a long-term and sustainable team that can compete for several years. It’s going to require trial and error from both the coaching staff and front office before the organization can get back to where it was.

There will be more years burned off of entry-level contracts, more draft picks used to select off the board players, more shuttling back and forth between Hartford and dozens if not hundreds of more losses before the Rangers return to the postseason.

There are things to be upset about, Andersson’s developmental path is not one of them.