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Trade idea has Canadiens acquiring Rasmus Andersson.
The Montreal Canadiens have one of the best defenses in the NHL, but they may not be done.
Heavy.com has a trade idea that sees the Canadiens acquiring Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames in a blockbuster deal.
Canadiens acquire:
Flames acquire:
The proposed deal would be a blockbuster as Montreal would acquire Andersson to further bolster its defense for an NHL defenseman, a defensive prospect, an NHL forward, and two draft picks, including a first-rounder.
The Canadiens would acquire Andersson, who’s entering the final year of his six-year, $27.3 million deal. The Swede is likely to be traded and would be a top-four defenseman for the Canadiens, but a trade would come with an extension. Andersson recorded 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points in 81 games.
Montreal would pay a hefty price, as the Canadiens would trade a first and second-rounder, but that is due to the Habs getting off of Anderson’s contract. Anderson has two years left on his seven-year, $38.5 million deal. He recorded 15 goals and 12 assists for 27 points in 81 games.
The Canadiens would also give up Struble, who can replace Andersson on the blue line. Struble is 23 and doesn’t have a clear path to playing time with Montreal, but he can be an everyday defenseman for the Flames.
Calgary would also acquire Engstrom, a defense prospect who can push for NHL minutes this season. He was selected in the third round in 2022, but took a massive step forward in his development last season and could help replace the void of Andersson.
Flames Likely to Trade Andersson
Despite Andersson being a star defenseman, he is likely to be traded due to this being the final year of his deal.
Andersson will be highly sought after as he’s a legit top-four defenseman who plays well in his own end and can also add some offense.
Heading into the season, Flames captain Mikael Backlund said he expects Andersson to be traded.
“Yeah, he’s getting traded. It’s obvious,” Backlund said at the NHL player media tour in Europe. “But the team wants value. He wants a big contract. So he wants to play well. The team needs him to play well. So, just go out and play.
“I talked to him, too, and he doesn’t want to be a distraction. So it’s all good. It’s too bad it’s come to this. I don’t think that they’re close to getting an agreement or anything, but you never know. Things could change. We’ll see,” Backlund added.
It was a bold comment from the Flames’ captain, and it will likely intensify trade talks around Andersson.
Canadiens Already Made Bold Move to Acquire a Defenseman
Montreal made two big moves to its blue line this offseason.
The Canadiens acquired Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders and traded away top defense prospect Logan Mailloux. Dobson was a blockbuster move for the Canadiens, but it was necessary, according to general manager Kent Hughes.
“We’re excited to see what he brings to our team, and I think one of the elements Noah brings, that we knew Logan Mailloux had, was a shot from the blue line,” Hughes said. “We lost Logan in the trade for Zack Bolduc, and Justin Barron could shoot and we traded him to Nashville, so we traded away two right-handed D who could shoot the puck. I would say having shots from the point was a bit of a weakness for our group, so I think adding Noah helps, in addition to his puck movement and the variety that he brings.”
The Canadiens are looking to build off last season, where they made the playoffs.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
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