When the New York Rangers selected Swedish center Lias Andersson with the seventh-overall pick in the 2017 draft, there was an expectation that he was NHL-ready. After trading away Derek Stepan, the Rangers were thin at center and hoped Andersson could step in immediately.
Things didn’t quite work out that way, but Andersson is out to prove that he’s ready now.
The Rangers have plenty of options at center this year, in fact, it’s shocking to see the roster turnover. At this time in 2017, the Rangers were looking at Mika Zibanejad, Kevin Hayes, and J.