Storm forces Rangers to delay Lias Andersson’s debut
The New York Rangers first round selection in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Lias Andersson at MSG Training Center in Greenburgh, New York on June 26, 2017. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Rangers fans eager to get their first look at Lias Andersson, the No. 7 overall pick in last summer’s draft, will have to wait a few more days, as the 19-year-old center not be making his NHL debut Thursday when the Rangers visit the Flyers in Philadelphia.
Rangers coach Alain Vigneault blamed it on Wednesday’s snowstorm.
“Considering the travel dilemma right now, for both our GM (Jeff Gorton) and Lias, we decided to postpone this here,’’ Vigneault said after the Rangers’ short practice Wednesday. “‘Gorts’ should be getting back tomorrow and we’ll start from there.’’
Gorton was in Boca Raton, Fla., at the NHL GM meetings, which wrapped up Wednesday. Andersson is with the Rangers’ AHL farm team in Hartford.
Not playing against the Flyers means Andersson will not play the maximum nine games he is allowed before the first year of his entry-level NHL contract kicks in. The Rangers have nine games remaining this season, and Vigneault had said after Tuesday’s morning skate prior to the Rangers’ 5-3 loss to Columbus that Andersson would be with the team for the Flyers game.
Filip Chytil, the 18-year-old center who was the No. 23 pick last summer — and who Vigneault said would also be brought up soon — played two games for the Rangers back at the beginning of the season, and so has seven games remaining that he is allowed to play without burning that contract year. The organization may have decided to just hold Andersson back and have he and Chytil come up together, and that would mean the pair would most likely join the team in time for Monday’s home game against the Washington Capitals. The Rangers also have a home game Saturday against Buffalo.
Lundqvist sore, skips trip to Philly
Henrik Lundqvist, who took a bad fall late in Tuesday’s game when he was crashed into by Columbus forward Matt Calvert, did not practice and will not travel with the team to Philadelphia Thursday.
“He came real close to hitting his head on the ice and it could have been serious,’’ Vigneault said of Lundqvist. “He just got up this morning, was sore — overall body soreness, I think you can call it.’’
Vigneault said Alexandar Georgiev will start in goal against the Flyers and Ondrej Pavelec, cleared after practicing fully with the team Wednesday, will be the backup. Vigneault initially said yes when asked if he will carry three goalies the rest of the season, but then backtracked and said that was not a question he could answer definitely. He has been on record saying the team needs to see more of Georgiev the rest of the season, to try and figure out if the 22-year-old Russian can be trusted to be Lundqvist’s backup next season. Shutting Lundqvist down for the season would certainly allow the Rangers to play Georgiev as much as they want – and maybe even get a game or two for Pavelec too, if they wish.
Blue notes
D Kevin Shattenkirk, coming back from knee surgery, skated at the practice and said he believes he will return this season, but it won’t be before next week . . . Vigneault tweaked the forward lines, switching Vladislav Namestnikov and Ryan Spooner, moving Spooner to center between Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich and Namestnikov to left wing with Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello. “I’d like to see ‘Spoons’ in the middle, and I’d like to see Vladdy on the wing,’’ Vigneault said.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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