Rasmus Andersson pregame (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
With Quinn Hughes off the trade board, Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson will see an already bright spotlight on him intensify in the weeks to come.
The 29-year-old Swede is precisely the type of rearguard that contenders covet, a right-handed shot with minute-munching capability, 50-point potential, and the tools to match up with opponents’ top players. He’s also a pending unrestricted free agent in line for his big payoff after years of blocking shots, banging bodies, and playing through injuries.
Yet Andersson has been circumspect thus far, speaking openly but focusing squarely on the ice, the upcoming Olympics, and his myriad duties for the Flames, who have shed the weight of an atrocious October to build momentum of late.
Andersson graciously made time on a game day to speak exclusively with RG Media about the Flames, the Tre Kronor, and his future on the heels of the blockbuster trade that sent Hughes to the Minnesota Wild.
At June’s NHL Draft in Los Angeles, it was reported that the hometown Kings as well as other teams, including the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets, made offers for Andersson. But Andersson said he wasn’t in a place, personally, where he wanted to sign a new contract with any team at that point in time.
“There were some reports saying I only gave (Calgary GM Craig Conroy) one choice, and that’s just not true,” Andersson clarified. “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.”
Focusing on Calgary
The Flames missed the 2025 playoffs by the very narrowest margin. Joel Eriksson Ek’s last-minute goal against the Anaheim Ducks squeaked the Wild in and squeezed the Flames out of the postseason. Andersson himself was a woeful -38 during a season that saw him persevere through pain, including skating on a broken fibula.
Andersson has rebounded magnificently, pushing toward the top of the scoring leaderboard for defensemen since mid-November. He’s a plus player with 22 points in 33 games, all while averaging 24 minutes of ice time. He’s not allowing the outside noise into his head, and he said that in a perfect world, he’d spend the entire campaign in Calgary.
So, beyond this year, what are his priorities, and what would an ideal situation look like?
“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,” Andersson revealed.
“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.”
Yet Andersson was aware of the realities, and so, too was Calgary captain and countryman Mikael Backlund, when he told The Athletic flatly that he expected Andersson to be dealt. The Flames have endured a series of one-way ticket purchases – Matthew Tkachuk, the late Johnny Gaudreau, Jakob Markström, and Elias Lindholm, to name just a few – and remain in something of a transition period. Andersson himself is at his physical peak and in his prime earning years, with a desire to compete for the Stanley Cup. Yet he only holds so many cards when it comes to his immediate future.
“I can’t speak to what’s gonna happen,” Andersson conceded. “Obviously, I only have a six-team no-trade [clause], so there’s a lot of stuff outside my control. As I said, I just try to take it day by day, and then we’ll see what happens.”
Calgary Improving
What’s happened so far has been a tale of two seasons in just over two months. Early in the year, an eight-game freefall that was part of a stretch with 11 losses in 12 chances buried what had been an industrious, upstart Calgary club a season earlier.
Yet they’ve offset that with a recent stint of eight wins in 12 games, with their turnaround propelled by Andersson and center Nazem Kadri.
“We’re all digging in a little bit more than we did at the start. The start was, obviously, sloppy. It’s tough, too, when you lose two, three, four in a row early in the year, it just kept going for us,” Andersson said. “Then we left October behind us, and we had a pretty good November. Now, we’ve just gotta keep climbing. We’ve got a lot of ground to make up from where we started. But we’ve played well as of late, and the feeling in the group keeps getting better by the day.”
After a dizzying series of departures, some continuity has also been a boost to the Flames, though it remains to be seen how long that stability will endure with Andersson being one of a handful of Flames that could be changing area codes soon.
“We had a pretty similar group from last year. So you know, we know what we have in the room, and I think that goes a long way too, right? We can set those expectations on each other, and we knew the start wasn’t good enough,” Andersson said. “We’ll keep fighting and fighting, and we’ll keep scrapping for each and every point we get.”
Often lost in the sauce of trade rumors, fan sentiment and media speculation are the essential, human qualities of pro hockey. Andersson has embodied toughness and leadership as a Flame, at the rink and away from it, where he’s been involved with the Flames Foundation, the Special Olympics and Calgary area hospitals. Whether he’s a Flame for the rest of his career or the rest of the week, the 2015 second-rounder will always carry Calgary with him.
“It’s pretty much where I grew up,” the Malmö native said. “I moved to Calgary when I was 22 and the city has been great, and the fans are great. It’s one of those things where you feel the fans are behind you, and you feel like you have some really good support.”
“The Flames Foundation does such a good job with the community and we try to get out there as much as we can. It’s obviously a tight schedule this year [because of the Olympics],” he continued. “But when we get the chance, we always, always try to get out as much as we can into the community. And you know, it’s a priority in our organization, and it’s a really important thing to show yourself in the community. It’s a city I grew up in, and, whatever happens, it’ll always have a special place in my heart, for sure.”
Olympic Hopes
Likely more imminent than any kind of decision about his future is a call from Swedish GM Josef Boumedienne regarding February’s Olympics. Andersson played in one of Sweden’s three games at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Then, even after his injury, he donned the three crowns once more at the World Championships, capturing bronze.
“I wasn’t happy with how last year went and how last year ended [in Calgary]. But I think you learn a lot from failures. I tried to come into this year with a clear mindset to do what I do best, and just trust my game,” Andersson said.
“And obviously, there’s a little pressure along the way too, with the Olympics and the last year of my contract. I just try to put my best foot forward and show that I’m a pretty good player.”
Andersson has been praised for persisting as an exemplar amid the uncertainty surrounding his future, and he said he made an effort not to let any of the extraneous factors seep into his game.
“I just try to take it day by day, and put my best foot forward on the ice and just try to try to play and enjoy,” Andersson said. “I kind of like the pressure that falls on my shoulders when you have only one year left, and when there’s the Olympics.”
Most projections include Andersson for the roster in Milan, but as with his contract situation, Andersson said he was zeroed in on his performance in the hopes that other pieces will fall into place.
“I try to focus on what I can focus on. I’m not in those rooms to make the decision, but I’m trying to play my best and do everything I possibly can to get selected to the team,” Andersson said. “I feel like I really have put my best foot forward. I think I’ve played some really good hockey this year.”
“If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be, and if it’s not, I wish them nothing but the best. I really like Sweden’s chances this year. I think we’ve got a great team, and hopefully, I will get to be a part of it.”