NHL teams interested in upgrading their blueline at the trade deadline were beaten to the punch last week, with the Minnesota Wild going all-in to acquire superstar defenceman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks.

And while Hughes is a game changer of the highest order, there are several intriguing defensive options still available. Topping that list is Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson.

The Flames have been amidst a strategic rebuild since the 2023-24 trade deadline and have moved several notable names to contenders, including forwards Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane, defencemen Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom.

Pacing towards another lottery pick this season, it’s expected the trade market in Calgary will once again heat up. Names like Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, and the aforementioned Andersson have already generated plenty of speculation.

Andersson is an intriguing trade target for two critical reasons.

First, he’s an established top-four defender in his playing prime (he turned 29 in October) and has an expiring contract with a reasonable cap hit ($4.5 million per year). That means he could be a target for a team interested in retaining him long term, as well as one that wants a hired gun for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Second, he’s playing some of the best hockey of his career on a talent-poor team, and with Hughes off the market, the premium to acquire him has likely gone up.

Andersson’s counting numbers are fantastic: he’s tallied 25 points in 36 games (15th amongst league defencemen, tied with the likes of Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson) amidst a career high in usage (24:09 per night).

But more noteworthy is that the Flames are outscoring the opposition with Andersson deployed – a notable achievement on a team otherwise getting beaten up these days. Consider Andersson’s performance relative to the other Calgary regulars, as well as some notable comparables:

Travis Yost on Rasmus Andersson (TSN)

It’s not just that Andersson is clearly outperforming other Calgary defenders, it’s that he’s the only defender seemingly capable of igniting Calgary’s lowly attack from the back end.

Whereas most Flames defenders are struggling to yield even 2.0 goals per 60 minutes, independent of who they’re playing with, Andersson is at 3.1 goals per 60 minutes. In other words, Calgary scores like the Seattle Kraken (dead last) with Andersson off ice, and like the Anaheim Ducks (second in the NHL) with Andersson deployed.

He’s giving some of that back defensively, but it illustrates how the Swedish defenceman is capable of juicing offence even in challenging playing environments. Andersson could be a difference maker on a better team with more forward talent to capitalize on his transition play.

What’s notable to me is that, despite the challenging start to the year for Calgary, the Flames’ on-ice scoring with Andersson deployed looks comparable to that of Ivan Provorov in Columbus, Noah Dobson in Montreal, and Evan Bouchard in Edmonton. These aren’t superstar-level blueliners like a Cale Makar, but this second tier of top-four defenders typically can elevate the play of anyone they play with, a hallmark sign of a defensive difference maker.

TSN’s Insider Trading last week speculated on some potential trade partners for Andersson, with the in-need Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils likely amongst the contenders. But considering Andersson’s inherent value and light cap hit, rest assured they will be two of many suitors from now until the trade deadline.