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Flames Unwilling To Move Rasmus Andersson, Interested In Dylan Cozens

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The Flames have “no interest” in trading star defenseman Rasmus Andersson ahead of the March 7 deadline as things stand, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports Wednesday. LeBrun adds that they’re also “among the very long list of teams that have checked in” with the Sabres about trading for center Dylan Cozens.

Calgary general manager Craig Conroy has continued to receive calls on the 28-year-old Andersson, who is in the fifth season of a six-year, $27.3MM contract. According to a report from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, they listened earnestly to those offers over the summer but had set a high threshold for a return price that other teams didn’t meet.

With the Flames still holding onto a playoff spot in the Western Conference past the halfway point of the season, Conroy has been shutting down those inquiries entirely. He’s “even talked to Andersson recently to make sure he knows the trade speculation is not real,” LeBrun wrote.

Their optimism about agreeing on an extension with Andersson this summer likely factors into their unwillingness to discuss trade options. Andersson told Eric Francis of Sportsnet over the weekend that he prefers to stay in Calgary for the long term. So, assuming Conroy is willing to pay market value for the righty, there shouldn’t be many issues in getting a deal done.

It’s been a somewhat slow campaign offensively for Andersson, whose 18 points through 42 games is his worst pace (0.43) since his 0.38 points per game in the 2020-21 season. Nonetheless, he’s averaging a career-high 24:21 per game and leads the club with 105 blocked shots.

Unfortunately, his defensive play has lapsed slightly with the increase in usage. His 3.0 on-ice goals against per 60 minutes at even strength is tied with Tyson Barrie for worst on the team among defenders, and his 49.3% share of shot attempts at EV play is the lowest of his nine-year career.

Nonetheless, he’s a core piece on a Calgary blue line that’s seen a lot of turnover as part of a roster retool over the past couple of seasons. His 156 points in 282 games since the start of the 2021-22 campaign rank 24th among defenders league-wide.

Regarding Cozens, they join the Red Wings as teams that have firmly demonstrated interest throughout the season, at least from what’s been reported. Their pursuit of a young middle-six center dates back to an early-season report from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

Goal-scoring has been the limiter for the Flames, who rank 27th with 2.63 goals per game. But buoyed by solid team-wide possession play and expert goaltending from rookie Dustin Wolf, they’re still firmly in the playoff race far later in the season than most expected.

However, they have just six players with at least 20 points and none even in the neighborhood of a point per game. Cozens, who’s struggled by his standards with nine goals and 21 points in 43 games, would still rank seventh on Calgary in scoring.

Cap space won’t be an issue in any transaction the Flames want to make. They’ve already accumulated $36.66MM in space as of today’s writing and will have a whopping $81.18MM to add on deadline day if their roster remains as is, per PuckPedia.

Whether they’re willing to move any of their four first-round picks over the next two years will be the determining factor in how aggressively they can continue their retooling in the coming months. Cozens, selected seventh overall in 2019, would likely require at least a first-rounder for Buffalo to consider parting ways, but with Buffalo likely desiring a roster player back in return, the Flames don’t have much to offer that would be appealing.

Rasmus Andersson Hopes To Remain With Calgary Flames

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Rasmus Andersson wants to remain a member of the Calgary Flames beyond this season in no uncertain terms. Andersson reiterated his desire to stay with the Flames organization in a recent interview with Sportsnet’s Eric Francis and his displeasure for some specific teams in the Pacific Division.

Francis quoted Andersson saying, “I love playing here and I’ve always loved playing here and that’s never going to change. Of course I would love to stay here, but I’ve heard from everyone else who has been in my situation that it’s a business.” Furthermore, his passion and loyalty toward the Flames organization has turned into distaste for other organizations with Andersson saying, “I hate the Oilers, I hate the Canucks and that’s just the way I am.”

Given his age, contract term, and recent production, Andersson entered the season as arguably the best trade chip at Calgary’s disposal. Many preseason expectations had the Flames finishing at or near the Western Conference basement after moving on from Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Jacob Markström, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov during the 2023-24 season and this past offseason.

Calgary didn’t get the memo as they hold a 19-14-7 record through the first half of 2024-25 and sit one point back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Flames don’t have the league’s best offense, defense, or goaltending but are controlling scoring chances more times than not leading to their surprising record.

It would be surprising if there wasn’t mutual interest in retaining Andersson. He’s been one of the more underrated two-way defensemen in the league from 2022-2025 scoring 30 goals and 156 points in 279 games for the Flames while holding a career 51.7 CorsiFor% at even strength and +43.5 expected +/-.

Defensemen like Andersson don’t grow on trees, especially as a right-handed shot. He’ll earn a more than affordable $4.55MM salary for the next two years before being eligible for a new contract on July 1st, 2026.

It’s a precarious situation for the Flames. On one hand, they won’t have a trade candidate with as much value as Andersson for quite some time. On the other hand, the loyalty he holds toward the organization plus his on-ice production is something Calgary should want in the roster for the foreseeable future. A resolution of some sort will be decided on soon in the form of an Andersson extension on July 1st or his wearing of another team’s jersey by the end of this season.

Flames’ Connor Zary Out Indefinitely With Knee Injury

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4:47 p.m.: Zary does not require surgery but will be out indefinitely while he rehabilitates his knee injury, the Flames announced Friday afternoon.

2:43 p.m.: The Flames placed center Connor Zary on injured reserve Friday after he sustained a left knee injury Tuesday on a hit from Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson, per the league’s media portal. Initial imaging yesterday revealed no ACL or MCL damage, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports, but they’re still working out a concrete timeline for his return.

Taking Zary’s spot on the active roster will be 22-year-old Rory Kerins, who the team announced has been recalled from AHL Calgary. Kerins, a 2020 sixth-round pick, currently leads the AHL in goals with 21 in 34 games.

The IR placement means Zary will miss Calgary’s next three games at the very least. Now in his second NHL season, the 2020 24th overall pick had 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points through 40 games.

Zary finished eighth in Calder Trophy voting last year after finishing 10th on the Flames in scoring with 34 points in 63 contests and ranking fifth with a +12 rating. He had started the season in the minors, but after posting a goal and nine assists through only six AHL games, he earned a call-up and never looked back.

The Saskatchewan native has bounced around a few lines this season and has been shifted to the wing, struggling in the faceoff dot with a 36% win rate. He’s shooting at 12% and is averaging 16:18 per game, seventh among Flames forwards.

Zary has posted some of the best possession numbers on the Flames, controlling 53.6% of shot attempts at even strength – a relative share of 2.4%. He’s due for a new contract as a pending restricted free agent with a qualifying offer of $874,125. He will not be eligible for arbitration if he reaches free agency this summer.

In the meantime, Kerins will get his first NHL chance, although he’s not expected to make his NHL debut on Saturday against the Kings. In addition to leading their AHL club in scoring with 34 points in 34 games, his +13 rating leads Wranglers forwards.

The Flames have a full active roster with $34.79MM in current cap space after the moves. Kerins, also a pending RFA, is waiver-exempt this season.

Update On Zary Expected On Friday

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  • The Flames are expected to have more information on how long they’ll be without forward Connor Zary on Friday, relays Sportsnet’s Eric Francis (Twitter link). The 23-year-old suffered what looked to be a serious knee injury against Anaheim on Tuesday and the belief is that he may be facing an extended absence.  After spending some time in the minors last season, Zary has been a full-timer with Calgary this season and had a solid first half before the injury, picking up 10 goals and 22 assists in his first 40 games.

Hurricanes Have “Checked In” On Flames’ Daniel Vladař

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The Hurricanes have inquired with the Flames about goaltender Daniel Vladař’s availability in a trade as they look to shore up their goaltending depth, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff wrote Tuesday.

Vladař was softly connected to Carolina by Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic last month when he was detailing the Canes’ interest in the Ducks’ John Gibson. He was mentioned as a speculative trade candidate then but seems more firmly linked to Carolina now.

The Hurricanes remain in pursuit of a more established NHL option between the pipes with Frederik Andersen sidelined due to knee surgery and not expected back for a few more weeks. The veteran starter was at practice today for the first time since undergoing surgery, though, the team’s Walt Ruff relayed.

With Andersen set to hit the open market this summer and unlikely to return to Carolina given his injury history over the past couple of seasons, Gibson makes more sense for the Canes as a longer-term pickup to partner with Pyotr Kochetkov between the pipes. Vladař, a pending unrestricted free agent, would likely be a backup option if they can’t swing a deal with Anaheim.

But as Seravalli writes, it’s far from a given that the Flames will move Vladař. The netminder told Eric Francis of Sportsnet last week that he’s open to signing an extension in Calgary, and they won’t move him for anything less than a third-round pick. With few other teams than Carolina exploring the goalie market, there’s no guarantee that the Flames would be able to drive the price that high unless the Canes get desperate. That would be a heel-turn from a Carolina team that’s frequently held pat at the deadline in recent years if they don’t like what they see.

Vladař has started 19 games this season while playing in tandem with up-and-comer Dustin Wolf, four short of his career high set with Calgary in 2022-23. He has a subpar .888 SV% and 3.08 GAA, although he does have a pair of shutouts. He’s allowed 2.9 goals more than expected based on the shot quality he’s faced, per MoneyPuck. While an upgrade over Carolina’s current backup option, Dustin Tokarski, he’d be firmly entrenched at No. 3 on their depth chart once Andersen returns and would be unlikely to stick around unless the Canes can’t secure an upgrade on next summer’s free agent market.

Al MacNeil Passes Away At Age 89

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A legendary member of the Calgary Flames organization, Al MacNeil, has passed away at the age of 89 as announced by the Flames.

Before starting his coaching and executive career in the National Hockey League, MacNeil spent 11 years as a player. He suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins from 1955 to 1968 recording 17 goals and 92 points in 524 games with another four assists in 37 postseason contests.

After a brief hiatus in the CHL and AHL, MacNeil was named assistant coach for the Canadiens ahead of the 1970-71 season. After starting the season with an 11-8-4 record through 23 games, then-head coach Claude Ruel resigned leaving the keys to MacNeil for the remainder of the season.

Montreal rebounded immensely under MacNeil’s stewardship, finishing the regular season on a 31-15-9 tear with a +58 goal differential. After knocking off the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, the Canadiens defeated the Minnesota North Stars and Chicago Blackhawks to win the organization’s 15th Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Despite coaching the team to a Stanley Cup championship, Montreal hired fifth-year head coach Scotty Bowman after leading the St. Louis Blues to three out of the last four Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens had no intentions of MacNeil leaving the organization, naming him head coach of the AHL’s Nova Scotia Voyageurs. He enjoyed success with the Voyageurs, winning three Calder Cup championships in six seasons behind the bench.

After finishing as Director of Player Personnel for the Canadiens in the 1978-79 season, MacNeil became the head coach of the NHL’s Atlanta Flames for the 1979-80 season. He would spend the next two decades with the Flames organization.

MacNeil became the last head coach for the Atlanta Flames while being the first head coach for the Calgary Flames. He finished with a record of 105-93-44 in 240 games but failed to coach the Flames beyond the Conference Finals.

He was promoted to Calgary’s front office after the 1981-82 campaign and became the team’s assistant general manager in 1985. Despite a brief 11-game return as the Flames’ head coach in 2002-03, MacNeil held the role of the assistant general manager until his retirement after the 2005-06 season. MacNeil won the fourth Stanley Cup ring of his career when Calgary dispatched his former employer, the Canadiens, in the 1989 Stanley Cup Final.

Although many will think of franchise icons such as Jarome Iginla, Theo Fleury, Al MacInnis, or Lanny McDonald when pondering the Flames’ success since moving to Alberta, MacNeil remains one of the most historical figures in franchise history. PHR extends our condolences to Al’s friends, family, and the organizations he’s been a part of for the last 70 years.

Alex Chiasson Announces Retirement

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A long-time middle-six scorer is officially hanging up his skates. Originally announced by himself and then shared by the National Hockey League Players’ Association, Alex Chiasson is retiring after spending a few years off the ice.

The Dallas Stars drafted Chiasson with the 38th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft out of the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers program. Instead of immediately turning professional, Chiasson joined the Boston University Terriers for the 2009-10 NCAA season one year after they won the National Championship. Unfortunately, Chiasson would fail to reach the Frozen Four throughout his three-year tenure with Boston University.

He still became an effective playmaker at the collegiate level. He finished his NCAA career with 36 goals and 99 points in 108 games before signing his entry-level contract after the 2011-12 campaign. Chiasson started quickly with the AHL’s Texas Stars, scoring one goal and five points in nine contests.

Much of the next calendar year was spent in AHL Texas until Dallas recalled Chiasson in early April of the 2012-13 season to debut in the NHL. After scoring six goals and seven points in seven games to end the regular season, Chiasson became an NHL regular for the next decade.

Chiasson scored 13 goals and 35 points in 79 games during his official rookie season, which would be his last with the Stars. The following summer, he was acquired by the Ottawa Senators organization as a part of the return package for franchise icon Jason Spezza.

Although he became one of the better players from the trade for Spezza, his time in Canada’s capital was mostly disappointing. He finished his tenure in Ottawa with 19 goals and 40 points in 153 games before arduous contract negotiations led to a trade to the Calgary Flames in the summer of 2016.

After a solid year as a depth scorer for the Flames, Chiasson signed with the Washington Capitals for the 2017-18 season. He won his first and only Stanley Cup that year, scoring one goal and one assist in 16 playoff games for the Capitals.

It wasn’t until he joined the Edmonton Oilers that Chiasson experienced the most personal success of his career. During his time with the Oilers, Chiasson scored 42 goals and 78 points in 183 games, including a 22-goal campaign in the 2018-19 season.

Chiasson’s final game came on April 13, 2023, as a member of the Detroit Red Wings one year after spending the season with the Vancouver Canucks. He ended his career with 120 goals and 233 points in 651 games with another four goals and seven points in 37 postseason contests.

All of us at PHR extend our best wishes to Alex as he enters the next chapter of his life.

Daniel Vladar Hoping To Re-Sign With Flames

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With the trade deadline now just under two months away, teams will be starting to make decisions soon on some of their pending unrestricted free agents.  Among the soon-to-be-UFAs in Calgary is goaltender Daniel Vladar.  While he could be one of the more intriguing netminders to hit the open market in July, that’s not his preference.  Instead, he told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis that he has made it clear to everyone in the organization that he wants to remain with the Flames.

The 27-year-old is in his fourth season with Calgary with the first three presenting plenty of ups and downs.  In 2021-22 (his first year with them), he put up a 2.75 GAA and a .906 SV% in 23 games, solid numbers for a second-string option.  Even with a dip the following year, the team saw fit to give him a two-year deal with a $2.2MM cap charge to keep Vladar around a little longer.

Unfortunately for Vladar and Calgary, last season saw him struggle even more, putting up a 3.62 GAA with a .882 SV% in 20 games before undergoing season-ending hip surgery.  Despite those struggles, GM Craig Conroy didn’t go out and add a veteran netminder in free agency last summer, opting to give Vladar another shot at the backup job behind top prospect Dustin Wolf.

That faith has been rewarded thus far as Vladar has improved his numbers to a 3.02 GAA and a .890 SV% in 18 appearances this season, all starts as the two have largely platooned thus far.  Those numbers are around the NHL average and considering he has had more of the tougher starts compared to Wolf, being around league average on a mid-pack team is certainly a step in the right direction.

With Wolf still just getting his feet wet at the NHL level (though he’s playing quite well), there’s a case to make for Calgary to add a more veteran backup to work with him.  On the other hand, sticking with a pairing that works between the pipes isn’t a bad way to go either.  With Vladar’s struggles from last year likely factoring into the price of his next contract, he shouldn’t be able to command much more than what he’s currently making.

There is another factor to consider here, however.  Devin Cooley – whose deal converts to a one-way pact next season – has gotten off to a simply stellar start to his season with AHL Calgary, putting up a 1.92 GAA and a .939 SV% in 22 games with the Wranglers.  He leads the AHL in save percentage while sitting second in goals against average.  He’s making a very strong case to get some NHL time of his own this season and if the Flames want to see what he can do and evaluate if he could be Wolf’s backup, keeping Vladar around will make that task more difficult.

Of course, goalies like Vladar don’t typically carry a lot of value during the in-season trade market.  Barring injuries, many playoff-bound teams have their tandem already in place or Vladar wouldn’t represent enough of an upgrade to justify giving up a return of significance.  But with still nine weeks before the deadline, things can change on this front.

Conroy has some decisions to make with his goaltending and the trade deadline might serve as a soft deadline for that choice depending on what their plans are with Cooley.  But Vladar has been very clear, his hope is that he’ll get a new deal done with the Flames and stay with them for the foreseeable future.

Flames Name Trent Cull Interim Assistant Coach

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The Flames have promoted AHL Calgary head coach Trent Cull to their NHL bench to serve as an interim assistant, per a team announcement. He replaces Brad Larsen for the time being, who’s been out on an indefinite personal leave of absence since Dec. 8.

It will mark the 51-year-old Cull’s second time serving on an NHL bench. He was promoted to an assistant role with the Canucks in 2022 after five years as their AHL head coach but was fired midway through the 2022-23 campaign alongside Bruce Boudreau. Cull returned to coaching the following offseason, signing on as Calgary’s AHL head coach. He replaced Mitch Love in the role after he moved to Washington to take a job with the Capitals as an assistant.

Under Cull, the Wranglers have a 55-36-10 record since the beginning of last season. Cull previously served as an AHL assistant with the Syracuse Crunch from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2013 to 2017. In the meantime, he was the head coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves.

Replacing Cull as the interim AHL bench boss will be longtime NHL defenseman Joe Cirella. Cirella has been with the Flames’ farm club as an assistant since the 2018-19 campaign, which was prefaced by a lengthy career in the Ontario Hockey League as an assistant and associate coach. Cirella also served as an assistant with the Panthers in the 1997-98 season, his first after retirement.

Flames Sign Brayden Pachal To Two-Year Extension

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The Flames have signed defenseman Brayden Pachal to a two-year, $2.375MM contract extension, per a team announcement. The righty was set to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer.

Pachal, 25, is now in his fourth NHL season but only his second with significant playing time. An undrafted free agent signing by the Golden Knights from the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders in 2019, Pachal made his NHL debut with Vegas in the 2021-22 campaign and recorded a goal and two assists in 29 games over the following three seasons, spending most of his time in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights. His minutes were far from heavy in Vegas, averaging 14:58 per game, but he was a compelling physical presence with 36 blocks and 78 hits. That didn’t translate into overly impressive shot-suppression numbers, though, controlling 47.6% of shot attempts at even strength.

Naturally, that wasn’t enough to establish himself as a regular on the Knights’ blue line, one of the deepest in the league. Vegas placed him on waivers in February last season to sneak him back to Henderson, but the Flames submitted a claim and snagged him off the wire.

Not only did Pachal establish himself as a regular, he played in all 33 of Calgary’s remaining games, posting six points with a -1 rating while averaging 14:43 per contest. His performance level wasn’t much different, but it was more than competent enough to aid a Flames defense that was losing many core pieces, such as Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov.

It’s been more of the same for Pachal this season. He’s appeared in all 31 Flames games, playing solidly bottom-pairing minutes with a 14:31 ATOI. He has two points with a -4 rating, 34 blocks and 72 hits and has suited up on Calgary’s second penalty-killing unit alongside MacKenzie Weegar. His possession metrics at even strength have taken a demonstrable step forward, controlling 53.1% of shot attempts and 46.8% of expected goals. That’s enough to make him a serviceable bottom-pairing option on a team with playoff hopes, such as the Flames, who sit one point back of the Avalanche for the second wild-card spot in the West with two games in hand.

It’s an extremely low-risk move for Calgary. His $1.19MM cap hit starting next season is a few hundred thousand dollars over the maximum buriable threshold, so his cap impact would be negligible if things go awry and Pachal ends up back in the minors.

Pachal will be eligible for unrestricted free agency when his new deal expires in 2027. He becomes the sixth defenseman signed to a one-way contract for Calgary next season, joining Weegar, Rasmus Andersson, Jake Bean, Daniil Miromanov, and Ilya Solovyov. Kevin Bahl is now their lone notable pending RFA while pending UFAs Tyson Barrie and Joel Hanley appear unlikely to return at this stage unless it’s in reduced capacities.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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