New York Rangers prospect Lias Andersson, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 draft, has reportedly asked the team for a trade.
That is according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, who also adds that Andersson is no longer with the team and that general manager Jeff Gorton will use the holiday trade freeze to assess the market for the 21-year-old forward.
It will be interesting to see what that market looks like.
Andersson’s development has been a pretty big point of discussion among the Rangers’ fan base. The Rangers drafted Andersson with the pick acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta to the Arizona Coyotes. The Rangers also received defenseman Tony DeAngelo in that deal.
Both players figured to be key parts of the Rangers’ rebuild, but Andersson has not developed as anyone had hoped. How that happened is where the issue comes in for the Rangers. On one hand, he has not been given a consistent look in the NHL or significant ice time. As true as that is, he has also struggled stand out and force his way in the lineup.
In 66 NHL games with the Rangers he has three goals and nine total points over parts of three seasons. That includes zero goals and one assist in 17 games this season. His AHL numbers are slightly better during his career, scoring 15 goals and 34 points in 74 games.
Given the way his development has played out the Rangers should not expect a significant return should they choose to honor the request and trade him. It would, however, be a pretty good opportunity for another team to take a low-risk gamble and hope they can catch lightning in a bottle. Maybe a fresh start in a new organization helps. He is still only 21 years old, and even though he was considered a bit of an overdraft at the time he is still only a couple of years removed from being a top-10 pick. Someone is going to see some potential there and think they can make it work. You have to think the usual suspects -- talent starved or rebuilding teams -- would have at least some interest. Teams like Ottawa, Edmonton, Los Angeles, or Detroit would all immediately come to mind.
UPDATE:
Lias Andersson has been suspended by Rangers after leaving Wolf Pack following trade request. NHL Roster freeze in effect through 12/27.
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) December 22, 2019
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.