Puck drop on the NHL season is just two weeks away and, despite an off-season of speculation, defenceman Rasmus Andersson remains a member of the Calgary Flames.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that all options remain on the table for Andersson and the Flames, but a trade remains the most likely outcome for the pending unrestricted free agent.
“I mean there is a chance [Andersson remains in Calgary]. I would say it’s probably still not the best of the two scenarios,” LeBrun said Tuesday on Insider Trading. “He nearly got dealt as we reported at the time to the Vegas Golden Knights, that trade did not materialize and here he is.
“Everyone is an adult in the room. He’s ready to play his best for the Flames. The Flames are happy to have him back. In the meantime, neither side wants to totally close the door and maybe having extension talks again at some point this year. But for now, the team has told Andersson is, ‘Hey, let’s start the year. Let’s see how things go here and then maybe we’ll revisit this at some point.’
“I do think Andersson might potentially listen if there was an eight-year offer on the table, but right now I just don’t think the team is ready to go there. We’ll see where this all goes. I think more than likely a trade is still the likeliest option before the March 6 trade deadline.”
Andersson, 28, is heading into the final season of a six-year, $27.3 million contract that pays him $4.55 million annually. A right-handed shot, Andersson finished last season with 11 goals and 31 points in 81 games but had the third-worst plus/minus rating in the NHL at -38.
The fact that Andersson remains on the Flames roster at all may come as a surprise for some. Team captain Mikael Backlund admitted last month that it was clear Andersson’s days with the team were numbered.
“Yeah, he’s getting traded. It’s obvious,” Backlund said to The Athletic’s Michael Russo. “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.”
In late June, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported that Calgary wasn’t feeling heavy pressure to move Andersson and that if they did, the team would be primarily looking for a package based on futures.
TSN reporter Salim Valji added that the Flames were comfortable going into training camp with Andersson if no extension is reached.
The Flames have had a quiet off-season, prioritizing locking up their own players with goaltender Dustin Wolf (seven years), forward Matt Coronato (seven years) and defenceman Kevin Bahl (six years) signing long-term deals and Backlund, Connor Zary, Martin Pospisil, Joel Hanley, Adam Klapka and Yan Kuznetsov inking multi-year contracts.
Calgary finished just short of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference last season as they were edged out by the Minnesota Wild on the last day.
Since finishing first in the Pacific Division in 2021-22, the Flames have missed the playoffs the past three years. The majority of that roster has moved on with Backlund, Andersson and Blake Coleman the only remaining players in Calgary.