Rasmus Andersson Discusses His Trade
The long trade saga for Rasmus Andersson finally came to an end last month when the Flames moved him to Vegas in exchange for a first-round pick, a second-round selection, defenseman Zach Whitecloud, and prospect blueliner Abram Wiebe.
Of course, while this was the time that the trade got over the finish line, it looked like deals were all but done on multiple occasions beforehand. Speaking with Sportsnet’s Eric Francis earlier this week, the blueliner discussed some of those failed moves that ultimately preceded his departure from Calgary.
Over the summer, it was widely reported that the framework of a trade was in place to send him to Los Angeles. Andersson confirmed as much but acknowledged that he wasn’t ready to sign a long-term deal with the Kings which was a condition of the swap. As a result, it ultimately fell through.
Soon after that, word emerged that Andersson had given the Flames a shortlist of teams he would sign with. It turns out that the list wasn’t all that short as there were seven teams on it.
Andersson noted that a couple of times, it looked like something was in place with some of those other teams, without going into specifics about who they were. In the end, the acquiring team couldn’t figure out how to fit him in beyond this season (where he has a team-friendly $4.55MM AAV) which ultimately scuttled the discussions.
To his credit, Andersson came back to the Flames for this season and didn’t let the constant discussion about his future faze him. Instead, he had a strong first half, notching 10 goals and 20 assists in 48 games before the swap while logging over 24 minutes a night of ice time, narrowly surpassing his career high in that regard.
Of course, there was one more failed move, that coming just days before the move to the Golden Knights. It briefly looked as if Andersson was on his way to Boston with a seven-year, $63MM extension in tow but the 29-year-old noted that the Bruins made some tweaks to the offer in terms of structure and trade protection that weren’t to his liking. Then, after three days without any communication, he ultimately decided to pull the plug on signing an early extension with anyone for the time being. With an extension being a prerequisite to make the Boston trade happen, that took them out of the equation as well.
In the end, that decision ultimately facilitated a move as Vegas stepped up with their offer mere hours after that announcement and the long-awaited swap going back the better part of a year was finally completed. Andersson has since played in eight games since the move, picking up a goal and three assists and now is with Sweden for the Olympics so his break will be a short one compared to most of the league.
Speculated as a preferred landing spot for Andersson in the summer, the Golden Knights were indeed one of the seven teams on his list dating back to the offseason so both sides should be confident that an extension can be worked out. The near-miss Boston contract should act as a reasonable barometer for what that agreement should ultimately cost. It may wind up taking a lot longer than originally anticipated and hoped but Andersson appears set to get one of the outcomes he wanted, a trade to and a contract with a team of his choosing. The first half is done, now we’ll see how long it takes for the second half to be completed.
Golden Knights Add Rasmus Andersson To Active Roster
After being acquired from the Flames in last weekend’s blockbuster, defenseman Rasmus Andersson will make his Golden Knights debut tonight against the Maple Leafs, the team announced. He had been unavailable due to work visa complications, so he’d been on the non-roster list since his pickup. To open a space for him on the active roster, Jaycob Megna was reassigned to AHL Henderson.
Andersson’s $2.275MM cap impact – minimized thanks to Calgary retaining half his salary in the trade – still counted against Vegas’ books while he had a non-roster designation, so there’s no move required there. With Alex Pietrangelo on season-ending LTIR and William Karlsson and Brayden McNabb on regular LTIR, the Knights now have $3.09MM in cap space after reassigning Megna. That’s also with $6.5MM tied up in the IR-bound Carter Hart, Brett Howden, and Brandon Saad.
The Golden Knights didn’t hold a morning skate prior to tonight’s game. It’s the second half of a back-to-back for them after losing 4-3 to the Bruins yesterday, so we’ll need to wait until warmups to figure out who will serve as Andersson’s left-shot complement in Vegas’ top four to start.
Vegas was on a 7-0-1 run before dropping its last two in regulation. Still with a comfortable Pacific Division lead, they’ll hope Andersson can continue the offensive momentum he had in his final days with Calgary with a goal and two assists in his last four games.
Megna’s latest recall ends after just four days. He was brought up after the trade to ensure Vegas had an extra defenseman while Andersson was getting his paperwork sorted out. They needed to recall a D at the time because they surrendered Zach Whitecloud in the deal to acquire Andersson.
The 6’6″, 214-lb lefty did draw into the lineup on Monday against the Flyers, recording a shot on goal in 11:01 of ice time before heading to the press box in Boston to make way for Dylan Coghlan to get a bottom-pairing rep. Coghlan will remain as the Knights’ seventh defender for the time being, although he’s also destined for a demotion once McNabb returns following the Olympic break.
In Megna’s eighth NHL season and first in Vegas, the 33-year-old has a -5 rating with a 45.0 CF% in four outings across multiple recalls. A strong shutdown presence at the minor-league level, he’s got seven points and a +4 mark in 27 showings for Henderson.
Golden Knights Acquire Rasmus Andersson
The Golden Knights have acquired defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Flames in a move now announced by both teams. In exchange, Calgary receives defenseman Zach Whitecloud, Vegas’ 2027 first-round pick, a conditional 2027 second-round pick, and the signing rights to University of North Dakota defender Abram Wiebe.
If the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup this year, that 2027 second-rounder will upgrade to a 2028 first-round pick. Calgary is retaining 50% of Andersson’s $4.55MM cap hit in the deal, Friedman adds, bringing his impact down to just $2.275MM on Vegas’ books this season. Vegas’ 2027 first-rounder is also top-10 protected, Dreger notes.
It’s far from a stunning move. Andersson was first implicated in trade talks nearly two full calendar years ago. Ever since, Vegas has been one of the teams most consistently linked to the right-shot blue liner. That’s only ramped up since this past offseason, when reports indicated Nevada was the Swede’s preferred long-term destination and, naturally, would yield a larger return for Calgary because he’d be willing to sign an extension with the Knights. However, any extension won’t be registered today – David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports there’s no new contract in place at this time.
That means Andersson, 29, is still set to reach unrestricted free agency this summer as the top defenseman available – for now. He is in the final season of the six-year, $27.3MM extension he signed with Calgary in January 2020, coming off his entry-level contract. A second-round pick by the Flames in 2015, his tenure in Calgary ends with him seventh on the franchise defenseman leaderboard in games played (584), sixth in assists (204), and sixth in points (261).
Back in training camp, it looked like the Flames’ ongoing retool had removed any possibility of their top-four anchor remaining in Calgary. Captain Mikael Backlund said in August that Andersson didn’t want his future to be a “distraction” but that a trade was inevitable. Talk of separation softened after he reported to camp, with reports indicating he’d reopened extension talks. Over the past few days, though, it became clear the Flames had received the type of trade offers they wanted and would pull the trigger on a deal.
The other team that was in it to the wire – as late as this morning – was the Bruins. According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, the Flames gave Andersson permission to discuss an extension with Boston, presumably upon which the deal was contingent. They weren’t able to come to an agreement on a contract, though, putting Vegas back in the driver’s seat despite the Golden Knights not being able to talk contract with Andersson’s camp prior to the deal. If Andersson’s long-reported interest in Vegas is true, though, they shouldn’t have much trouble coming to a resolution before July 1.
The Flames’ retool is only further accelerated by the move. They already owned Vegas’ first-round pick this year as a result of 2024’s Noah Hanifin trade, giving them four guaranteed first-rounders over the next two drafts. If the Knights take home the Cup, they’ll have six first-rounders in the next three years.
Those hopefully high-value draft choices are the principal point of the return for the Flames. Whitecloud’s inclusion in the deal primarily serves as cap management for Vegas, but also gives the Flames a stable veteran option to, in part, replace Andersson’s minutes as they try to avoid overloading their young blue line talent too early in their development.
Whitecloud, 29, signed with the Knights as an undrafted free agent out of Bemidji State in 2018 and has thus remained in the organization since its inaugural season. The 6’2″ 210-lb righty has posted some tough numbers this season but has 78 points and a +42 rating in 368 games for his career, serving as their staple third-pairing option on the right side behind Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore for the past several seasons. With Pietrangelo injured, he’d been averaging 18:46 of ice time per game this season, nearly a career-high.
Wiebe, 22, isn’t without ceiling, either. The nephew of longtime Blackhawks defenseman Keith Brown was a seventh-round pick by Vegas in 2022 but has since gone on to put up some solid numbers with the Fighting Hawks. He’s now in his junior season, is an alternate captain, and has scored 48 points with a +13 rating in 102 games on North Dakota’s blue line. He owns a pro-ready 6’3″, 209-lb frame, giving him a legitimate shot at being a mobile piece near the bottom of Calgary’s lineup in the next few years.
For the Knights, acquiring Andersson means they’re back to their ethos of big in-season swings after taking last year off. Their acquisition of a high-end right-shot defender was a foregone conclusion ever since it was announced that Pietrangelo wouldn’t play this season, with his career likely over due to various lingering injuries.
They get a resurgent name in Andersson, who’ll be heading to the Olympics with Sweden. With 10 goals and 30 points in 48 games this season, he’s 20th in the league in scoring among defenders and immediately becomes the Knights’ leader in overall production from the blue line.
The question becomes how his defensive game will slot in on a Vegas club that’s been above-average in the possession department this year. He’s coming off a -38 rating last season and has posted negative relative Corsi shares at 5-on-5 in nine of his 10 NHL seasons, including this one. Might he be eating into the already sheltered offensive zone minutes that his now-reunited teammate Hanifin has been receiving?
Nonetheless, it’s nearly impossible to criticize the deal from Vegas’ perspective. They’ve already got a clear path to a deep playoff run through a weak Pacific Division but, with Pietrangelo gone and Theodore and Brayden McNabb missing significant time this year, have lacked the identity that their historically overloaded top-four group has provided. Now, that blue line power is back with Andersson, Hanifin, McNabb, and Theodore comprising one of the most experienced and dynamic groups in the league.
They also do so while actually increasing their cap space for this season. Whitecloud was signed through next season at a $2.75MM cap hit, so Vegas frees up nearly $500K in space with this deal.
Image courtesy of Brett Holmes-Imagn Images.
Darren Dreger of TSN was the first to report that Andersson was going to Vegas. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was the first with the trade details.
Bruins Lead Pursuit Of Flames’ Rasmus Andersson
Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson is one of the top players available for trade at this stage in the 2025-26 season, and as a result, his name has featured heavily in recent reporting as he figures to be dealt at some point in the near future. Numerous developments have been reported regarding Andersson, and on yesterday’s Saturday Headlines segment on Sportsnet’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, Elliotte Friedman issued a few notable updates on Andersson’s status.
According to Friedman, “the team that appears to be in the driver’s seat” is the Boston Bruins. Friedman characterized Boston’s interest in Andersson as “very serious,” and added that not only has Boston made Calgary an offer that is believed to be more to Calgary’s liking than the offers of other suitors (such as the Vegas Golden Knights), but they are also the only team, per Friedman, that has permission from the Flames to conduct extension talks with Andersson’s representatives.
Those extension talks between Boston and Andersson’s camp, which is led by Claude Lemieux of 4Sports Hockey, were characterized as “pretty significant” by Friedman. The talks are significant for all parties involved, as the Bruins’ interest in trading for Andersson is reportedly entirely contingent on being able to secure his agreement on a long-term extension.
Because the Bruins are only interested in trading for Andersson if they can sign him to a contract extension, it tracks that their offer to the Flames appears to be more substantive, at this stage, than the offers made by other suitors.
Generally speaking, teams are more willing to part with quality trade assets if they’re receiving a core player in return, rather than a rental.
While the Vegas Golden Knights appear confident that they’d be able to sign Andersson, the fact that the Bruins would only make this trade with an extension in place has a key implication: it means that their trade offer to the Flames takes into consideration, from the outset, the fact that they’d be acquiring a core piece rather than a rental player.
Right now, per Friedman, Vegas’ offer “is not seen” to be as strong as Boston’s. While he cited both the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs as other teams in the mix, the Bruins are seen as the clear front-runner to acquire the Flames blueliner.
As for what Andersson might cost Boston, there’s no firm indication as to what the Bruins have included in their offer to Calgary. If the Flames are looking for, at minimum, a first-round pick and a quality prospect, perhaps one that is close to NHL ready, the Bruins have some options to play with.
Boston could dangle a top-five-protected Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2026 first round pick, the one they acquired in last year’s Brandon Carlo deal, as a core part of their offer. The Maple Leafs are currently on the outside of the playoff picture, meaning the pick could be one that participates in the draft lottery.
While it’s almost guaranteed Boston would be trading at least one of its first-rounders in any Andersson deal, it’s less immediately clear what sort of prospect (or prospects) they might have included in their offer to the Flames. Their prospect pool is in better shape than it’s been in recent years, rising to a No. 17 ranking among systems across the league, per Elite Prospects.
One has to assume 2025 No. 7 pick James Hagens is off the table as Boston’s No. 1 prospect and a key piece of the team’s future. 2024 first-rounder Dean Letourneau has had a stellar sophomore season at Boston College, but the Bruins may be loath to surrender the 6’7″ pivot alongside a high-end draft choice.
2021 first-rounder Fabian Lysell has been unable to break into the NHL with the Bruins, and an Andersson trade could serve as his opportunity to receive a change of scenery. But Lysell may not hold enough value at this stage to be the centerpiece prospect of an Andersson offer, though he is far closer to the NHL than No. 2-ranked prospect Letourneau or No. 4 prospect William Moore.
Other possibilities from Boston’s system include World Juniors standout Will Zellers, first-year pro center Dans Locmelis, and Youngstown Phantoms star Cooper Simpson.
While one of these names appears likely to have been included in Boston’s offer for Andersson, there’s no guarantee any of them will end up ultimately being dealt by the Bruins. Other teams are still in the mix to secure Andersson’s services. Although Boston is reportedly the only one at this stage that has had substantive extension talks with the player, it’s not a foregone conclusion that he’ll end up a Bruin.
Photos courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Flames Ramping Up Rasmus Andersson Trade Talks
Jan. 17th: According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Andersson’s market has been narrowed down to four teams: two in the Eastern Conference and two in the Western Conference. Dreger listed the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights as two of them, but didn’t specify the other two. Unless significant traction is made within the next few hours, Dreger expects Andersson to play for the Flames tonight.
Jan. 16th: It appears the Flames have finally received the type of offer they want to part ways with pending UFA defenseman Rasmus Andersson. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports that “talks have intensified” in the last several days, and a deal could come by the end of the weekend.
Since Andersson’s name first hit the trade block in earnest last season, the Golden Knights and Stars have been the most frequently linked destinations. Little has changed to suggest those two wouldn’t be the favorites to both acquire and, particularly in Vegas’ case, extend him.
The Senators are also a team with documented interest in him over the last few weeks. They’d also had interest in him dating back to the offseason, but it was reported then that Ottawa is on his six-team no-trade list.
Once viewed as a potential long-term top-pair piece in Calgary, the team’s still relatively early positioning in their rebuild has made it hard to justify giving the 29-year-old a significant financial commitment. For his part, he’s rebounded well after a difficult 2024-25 campaign. Through 47 appearances, he’s churned out 10 goals and 29 points – just two shy of last year’s total already. His two-way game has also recovered from last year’s career-worst -38 rating, gelling well with shutdown partner Kevin Bahl and averaging a career-high 24:12 of ice time per game.
Among non-Dallas or Vegas suitors, the Maple Leafs will be near the top of the list. They made an attempt to acquire him last season and were linked to another puck-moving righty in the Devils’ Dougie Hamilton this week. Andersson, who checks in at a $4.55MM cap hit this year, is the far more financially viable option.
Quinn Hughes Wanted To Go To Red Wings
In yesterday’s iteration of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman claims that defenseman Quinn Hughes wanted to go to the Detroit Red Wings when the Vancouver Canucks were entertaining trade offers. However, Friedman indicated that General Manager Steve Yzerman was unwilling to pay the lofty price if an extension wasn’t guaranteed.
Hughes was eventually traded to the Minnesota Wild for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren, and a 2026 first-round pick. Detroit was known to be one of the speculative suitors at the time. However, many pundits believed that defenseman Simon Edvinsson was the major sticking point in negotiations, as being a player the Red Wings were unwilling to part with. Yesterday’s report from Friedman certainly alters that narrative.
Additionally, given that he’s not scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency until after the 2026-27 season, Hughes isn’t eligible to sign an extension until July 1st, 2026. Friedman’s report indicates that Yzerman was hoping for a verbal commitment from Hughes and his agent, Pat Brisson, that the former Norris Trophy winner would sign a long-term contract with Detroit. Although Hughes can’t sign an extension until the upcoming summer, he’s able to begin negotiating one whenever he pleases.
While it ultimately didn’t work out with Detroit on the trade front, they will certainly be a team to look out for if Hughes reaches free agency in 2027. However, that’s a big if.
There’s no doubting the connection. Hughes played for four years in southeast Michigan with the United States National Team Development Program before attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for two years. Still, he’s had a seamless transition to the Wild organization, scoring one goal and 16 points in 15 games while averaging nearly 28 minutes of ice time per game.
It appears that the lack of extension could be a major sticking point for Yzerman leading up to the trade deadline. In the same episode on Monday, Friedman discussed the recent speculation connecting the Red Wings to Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, noting that Detroit would likely avoid him if he is not willing to commit long-term.
Regardless, it’ll be a breath of fresh air to a Red Wings fan base that has been starving for a big-time addition by Yzerman, particularly on defense. The team is on pace to get over the playoff hurdle, sitting in first place in the highly competitive Atlantic Division with a 28-15-4 record. However, it’s important to remember that Detroit has played the most games of any team in the division.
The Red Wings should be comfortable with their top pairing. The combination of Edvinsson and Moritz Seider is one of the league’s best at even strength, averaging a 55.2% xGoals%. However, there’s a stark drop-off in performance from the second pairing. Veteran Ben Chiarot and rookie Axel Sandin Pellikka have combined for a 45.8% mark, which ranks 81st out of the 99 defensive pairings that have played in 200 or more minutes together.
If Detroit can remain healthy after the Olympic break, all rumors suggest a significant addition to their defense. However, regarding the rental market, the quality of potential trade candidates is thin. Given the desire to stay away from a player who isn’t willing to stay with the team long-term, the Red Wings could look to the market for defensemen signed beyond this season.
Senators Believed To Have Checked In On Rasmus Andersson
While the Senators enter play today in last place in the Atlantic Division and second-last in the Eastern Conference, they’re only three points out of a Wild Card spot and aren’t thinking about selling just yet. To that end, league sources suggested to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that Ottawa has circled back and inquired about Flames blueliner Rasmus Andersson.
The 29-year-old is in the final season of his contract and while Calgary hasn’t ruled out the possibility of signing him to an extension themselves, the expectation is that he will likely be dealt before the trade deadline in March.
Andersson is a top-pairing right-shot defender, the type of commodity that is always in short supply and very high demand. In 40 games this season, he has eight goals and 18 assists, putting him on pace for his second career 50-point campaign. Meanwhile, Andersson is also averaging a career-high 24:10 per game of playing time.
With a $4.55MM cap charge, it’s fair to say that Andersson has been quite the bargain for Calgary and it’s a price tag that a lot of teams should be able to afford, including the Sens. However, given his role, production, and overall value, the Flames are well-positioned to command a significant return; a first-round pick and a top prospect could be a realistic ask at this point. If Calgary gave a team permission to discuss an extension beforehand, that price could go even higher.
That potential price could be a challenge for Ottawa to meet. As things stand, they’re set to forfeit their 2026 first-round pick as punishment for not declaring Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade protection that eventually resulted in a vetoed trade back in 2022. While they can move future first-round picks as well, going multiple years without a top pick isn’t ideal for a team that currently finds itself out of a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, it appears their top prospects aren’t believed to be available. Garrioch reports that the Sens have zero interest in moving defensemen Carter Yakemchuk and Logan Hensler, their two most recent first-round selections. Yakemchuk is currently injured with AHL Belleville while Hensler just suited up at the World Juniors.
With those top assets unavailable, it’s hard to see Ottawa realistically getting involved in trade talks for Andersson. But they can be added to the list of teams keeping tabs on him, a group that includes (but is not limited to) Dallas, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Vegas.
Latest On Rasmus Andersson, Blake Coleman
Less than a week ago, defenseman Rasmus Andersson publicized his commitment to the Calgary Flames, suggesting that he spurned the trade interest in him last offseason by being unwilling to sign a long-term extension. However, in a recent episode of Frankly Hockey with Frank Seravalli, the insider reported that Andersson is willing to join a team that plays in an area of the United States without a state income tax, and that the Dallas Stars have shown the most interest.
Much has been made of the teams that play in no-income-tax states recently. Since the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, at least one team has been from a no-income-tax state, with the Colorado Avalanche being the only recent champion from a state that has one. If one of those teams were to be the one that ultimately acquires Andersson, it would be another instance of the rich getting richer.
If that’s the only qualifier for Andersson, which is unrealistic, the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Seattle Kraken, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights would join the Stars as potential suitors. However, given the competitive states of the Predators and Kraken, only the Panthers, Lightning, Golden Knights, and Stars would make theoretical sense.
All four teams are among the league’s best, though there are legitimate arguments for not acquiring Andersson. The Panthers, for example, are no strangers to big moves, but already have Seth Jones and Aaron Ekblad on the right side of their defensive core.
Still, the other three have a legitimate need for a top-four defenseman, particularly from the right side. Andersson would easily complement Thomas Harley in Dallas, Ryan McDonagh or Victor Hedman in Tampa Bay, or Noah Hanifin or Shea Theodore in Vegas.
The interesting note from Seravalli’s report is that the Stars are not only interested in Andersson but also have kicked the tires on Blake Coleman. Coleman, who’s signed through next season at a $4.9MM cap hit, would be an immediate upgrade to Dallas’ middle-six. He’s scored 10 goals through 36 games this season and is only a few years removed from helping the Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, scoring eight goals and 24 points in 48 games.
Unfortunately, if the Stars were to acquire Coleman and sign Andersson to a longer-term extension after acquiring him, it would make it nearly impossible for the team to retain Jason Robertson, who’s a pending restricted free agent. Dallas could potentially make a move or two to make the money work, but Robertson’s value has risen dramatically this season, scoring 23 goals and 44 points in 37 games.
Ultimately, only time will tell if Andersson and Coleman are eventually moved. Despite a recent string of hot play, the Flames remain five points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, and don’t appear poised to make a significant postseason run, even if they do qualify.
Latest On Rasmus Andersson
Dec. 17th: In a recent interview with Andrew Knoll of RG Media, Andersson admitted that it was he himself who spurned a lot of the interest in him dating back to last season. Knoll quoted Andersson saying, “There were some reports saying I only gave one choice, and that’s just not true. We spoke many times during the summer and obviously there was some interest from other teams. But I just wasn’t ready to sign, and I didn’t really want to sign a deal [at all] after how last year ended. That was the kicking point for the other teams, that they needed an extension, and I just wasn’t willing to go there.”
Additionally, in typical hockey fashion, Andersson expressed his desire to remain with the Flames instead of going elsewhere, saying, “I’m not really looking that deep yet. I’m trying to focus on the Flames. I hope I remain here this season, and then we’ll see what happens in the future. I don’t know what’s gonna happen in the future. So, I try to take it day by day and just enjoy every day as it comes. Every game in this league is a grind. You’ve gotta grind it out more nights than you’d think. And I love playing for the Flames. I always have, and I always will.”
Dec. 16th: The NHL trade market was re-ignited last week with the blockbuster trade of Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild, but it wasn’t the only deal: the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins swapped starting goalies as well. Now, it appears more significant trades could be coming. Insider Pierre LeBrun reported on TSN’s Insider Trading segment that in the aftermath of last week’s Hughes deal, “the Calgary Flames suddenly got more calls on Rasmus Andersson.”
That Andersson’s name is popping up in trade rumors is not a new development. Andersson was front-and-center in transaction-related reporting throughout the summer, and LeBrun even noted on TSN that the defenseman was nearly traded at last year’s deadline. Capable, proven top-four defensemen are a rare commodity in the NHL, and Andersson figures to be one of the few available for trade at this moment. As a result, interest in acquiring him is robust.
As far as which teams might be interested in trading for the Flames rearguard, LeBrun highlighted one key player in the trade talks: the Toronto Maple Leafs, whose hockey operations decision-making is led by former Flames GM Brad Treliving.
Andersson was drafted No. 53 overall by the Flames during Treliving’s tenure as general manager. His emergence into a two-way NHL force has made him one of the best draft picks from Treliving’s time as GM of the Flames.
Treliving is far from the first general manager to covet a former player after switching jobs, but it appears interest between Toronto and Andersson is mutual. LeBrun reported on TSN that “the Leafs would be one of the teams that perhaps Andersson would consider extending with” in the event that he is traded.
Should Andersson be dealt in a sign-and-trade transaction, similar to the way Noah Hanifin was traded from Calgary to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Flames figure to benefit from a stronger return package than if he was dealt as a rental. As a result, the Flames could have an increased level of motivation to deal Andersson to Toronto compared to another destination where he might not be as interested in re-signing.
Another factor in these reported trade talks between the two teams is the relationship between Treliving and current Flames GM Craig Conroy. Treliving was hired as Flames GM in April 2014, and shortly afterward, in June 2014, Conroy was promoted to assistant GM. Conroy was a key lieutenant for Treliving before succeeding him as Flames GM, and its possible their prior working relationship could make for an easier path to reaching an agreement on a trade for Andersson.
Taking a look at Toronto’s defensive depth chart, it’s no great mystery why they’d be interested in adding Andersson, even if there was no previous connection between their GM and the player. Andersson is the top right-handed defenseman currently available for trade, and the right side of Toronto’s defense has been ravaged by injuries. Chris Tanev remains out and it was reported on Dec. 2 that Brandon Carlo would miss “extended time.” Carlo hasn’t played since Nov. 13.
Toronto lined up tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks with left-handed Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the right side next to Morgan Rielly, journeyman Troy Stecher on the second pairing, and left-handed Henry Thrun on the right side of their third pairing. While Stecher has played well in Toronto, that’s hardly an ideal situation for a team that hopes to contend for a Stanley Cup to be in.
It’s fair to question whether Toronto would be best suited surrendering its top trade assets for a rental player when the club sits one point off of last place in the Eastern Conference. But while Toronto’s play hasn’t merited it to this point in 2025-26, the organization is likely still operating with the goal of winning a Stanley Cup on an immediate basis, and trading for Andersson would support that goal. Whether an Andersson trade would be enough to morph this year’s Maple Leafs into a true contender, though, is the key question.
Photos courtesy of Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Flames Focused On Balancing Short-And-Long-Term In Trade Market
The Calgary Flames have reached an impasse, stuck between whether to push for contention or rebuilding after a few up-and-down seasons. That gap widened on Friday, when team president Don Maloney said that the team shouldn’t blow up to try and build up the future in an interview with Sportsnet’s Eric Francis. Maloney added that general manager Craig Conroy has no restrictions on deals he thinks can impact the long-term, but reminded fans that Calgary must push through the short-term as well, pushing a need to stay competitive.
Calgary is shopping high-value veterans like Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson just a few years after trading away a heap, including Noah Hanifin and Jacob Markstrom. They are plowing towards a new era, on the back of multiple young pros, but the kids haven’t quite proven themselves yet. Kadri and Andersson have helped supplement Calgary’s rookies while they find their spots in the lineup.
At the same time, the pair of vets could fetch serious returns in a buyer’s market. Kadri has 14 points in 22 games this season, and scored 35 goals and 67 points in 82 games last year. He remains a clear top-line scorer, who could boom on a stronger offense. The same can be said for scoring-defender Andersson, who has 12 points in 22 games this year and scored 11 goals and 31 points last year.
Landing more young firepower – like Winnipeg’s Brad Lambert or Anaheim’s Pavel Mintyukov – could be the piece that ramps up Calgary’s rebuild. But they’ll have to make sure they’re not jeporadizing their next few seasons to do it. It will be a balancing act for novice GM Conroy, and one that should underscore the future of Flames hockey.