Suspended Rangers prospect Lias Andersson opens up about his reasons for leaving team

It's been two weeks since former 1st round pick (7th overall in 2017) Lias Andersson left the New York Rangers organization and officially demanded a trade from GM Jeff Gorton. Now, the 20 year old is finally breaking his silence. In a Swedish-language interview with Aftobbladet, Andersson made some cryptic comments about his time with the Rangers and their AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack.

Check out these translated quotes from Andersson, courtesy of Aftonbladet:

I will tell you about it someday. I can’t say too much about it in live-tv. It’s been a tough situation, it’s been hard and I will explain it one day so people will understand. 

I’m suspended from hockey because of some incidents I won’t get in to. That’s what’s happening and right now I’m not doing that much except watching some hockey. 

Of course I want to play but I will talk about it moving forward. Now is not the time. It’s been an untenable situation for me as a person. It feels good to be home and be able to rest.

I have a small lower body-injury that I’m trying to take care of. 

It’s good to be home again, I needed it as a person. It feels good, it feels safe to rest up my body and my mind. 

I dont think that [the future] much actually. I’m trying to get my injury in check. Of course I want to play hockey but I’m not allowed to anymore. My contract is for one and a half years. And if it gets real bad it will be one and a half years without hockey but I hope not. Hopefully we will reach a solution so I can play again.

There is a career that’s more important – and that’s friends, family and my health. Hockey wise, we’ll see in a couple of years, it might not be the best decision i’ve made if I want to play in the NHL. But there’s hockey to play elsewhere. Many thinks that it’s a hockey based decision that i’ve made but it’s for my health. There’s been a lot of incidents that have affected me personally, thing that have made me feel bad mentally. Hockey wise it might be an idiotiic decision, but I have to think about my personal life as well. 

That doesn't sound like a kid who's in a good headspace. Whose to blame though is still up for debate. Here's hoping that the kid can get things figured out and fulfill on all the promise he showed that earned him such a high draft position in the first place.