Lias Andersson
(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

The New York Rangers have reportedly suspended Lias Andersson for leaving the Hartford Wolf Pack after requesting to be traded.

The New York Rangers have suspended center Lias Andersson, per Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

This should come as no surprise. The formality of a suspension was expected when Andersson decided to leave the Hartford Wolf Pack after he requested a trade from the organization on Saturday.

Andersson has had a very rocky start to his NHL career. He made his Rangers debut at the end of 2017-2018, scoring one goal in seven games.

Over the next season, he scored a handful of goals while his struggle to see ice time continued.

This season, Andersson made the Rangers squad out of training camp as their fourth-line center, but was unable to get much ice time, averaging just 9:33 minutes per game before being sent to the AHL in mid- November.

The 20-year-old from Sweden never won over the coaching staff’s confidence to play beyond the fourth line or any time with power- play or penalty-killing units.

He played in 13 games for the Wolf Pack this season registering four goals with five points.

The NHL is in the middle of its roster holiday freeze until Dec. 28, at which time general manager Jeff Gorton can trade the former first-round pick if he chooses to head down that path.

This unfortunate situation is a failure by both the player and the organization. Andersson was unable to make a statement with the little amount of ice time he was given.

The Rangers never really gave him the time to improve his game to fit in with the club.

A trade will be the best for both sides, yet the unwarranted departure by Andersson might become the main story which will lead to a lesser value in return.

A graduate of St. John's University class of '91. I have been a fan of the New York Rangers since the days of Peter Puck. Founder of Ranger Proud, the Facebook page that covers all news, notes, pre /post-game stats, and player quotes. I can be reached at [email protected]