Despite the ongoing drama, John Davidson and the New York Rangers still want Lias Andersson. This dispute could carry on well past the trade deadline.
According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the New York Rangers attempted to make contact with Lias Andersson. Those attempts have been unsuccessful to date, as Andersson prefers to speak through his agent.
John Davidson says Rangers have reached out to Andersson but he prefers to communicate through agent. JD says everything is on table, feels sense of responsibility to him, won’t draw conclusions from translated comments. Unaware of incidents in Hartford. “He’s ours.”
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) January 10, 2020
Despite the cold shoulder and the fact Andersson has requested a trade, Rangers president John Davidson remains strong. He believes that all opportunities are on the table, including Andersson possibly remaining with the team.
As unlikely as that currently sounds, Davidson isn’t giving up hope. When asked about Andersson, Davidson responded, “He’s ours.” That will remain true until the Rangers move him.
Andersson is under contract with the Rangers for at least one more year after this one. Not to mention that if he doesn’t return to the team at some point, his contract won’t toll. That means his contract won’t end because he refused to honor the agreement by refusing to show up to the team facilities, practice and play in games.
Andersson has been a major disappointment. He was selected seventh overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and has failed to live up to those expectations. He’s often been stuck on the third or fourth line, putting up little production.
His lack of production has led to multiple stints in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. Those assignments didn’t sit well with the Swede. Now, the situation has blown up larger than either side ever wanted.
Hopefully, this is resolved by the trade deadline. That would be best for both parties. Whether that means trading Andersson or not, something has to happen. It’s not fair to either side to drag this situation out much longer.
