The kid is here to play, and likely to stay.
After shaking off the disappointment of not making the team out of camp and instead forcing the Rangers’ hand with a strong 14-game stint at AHL Hartford, Lias Andersson was set to make his season debut Tuesday night against the Canadiens at the Garden.
The Rangers’ excess of centers has not disappeared, though the door did creak open for Andersson’s promotion when Brett Howden took a scary spill into the boards Sunday against the Sabres and was scratched against the Canadiens.