Former Rangers' 1st-rounder Lias Andersson reportedly demands trade

New York, New York, it’s a wonderful town. Lias Andersson feels otherwise, however.

Andersson, selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft has formally demanded a trade from the New York Rangers and is no longer with the organization, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports.

Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton will spend the holiday season looking to trade Andersson, according to Dreger. The holiday roster freeze ends on Dec. 27.

Andersson struggled badly to make an impact in the Rangers’ lineup, posting just one assist in 17 games before being demoted to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. The 21-year-old posted two goals and six points in 42 games with the Rangers during the 2018-19 season and was often miscast in the bottom six.

It’s a bit too early to label Andersson as a bust and he’ll likely receive another opportunity to prove why he was such a coveted prospect, but he’s been lapped by some of his cohort, with Montreal’s Nick Suzuki (No. 13) St. Louis’s Robert Thomas (No. 20) and teammate Filip Chytil (No. 21) playing larger roles for their clubs.

The holiday season is an excellent time to regroup and perhaps Andersson will find a place where he can develop properly in the new year.

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