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The Detroit Red Wings could land a top trade target sooner than expected. Detroit previously attempted to acquire superstar Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in December. Although the defenseman was open to the switch, a deal could not be struck. The Canucks instead opted to accept a proposal from the Minnesota Wild, partially because the Red Wings would not include Simon Edvinsson in the offer.

While Detroit missed out on Hughes, they are seemingly turning their attention to another star blueliner. Rumors have swirled in recent weeks that the Red Wings are interested in Calgary Flames veteran Rasmus Andersson. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, however, is now claiming that “noise is there” regarding a potential deal.

Speaking on his most recent 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman suggested that Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman would likely want Andersson to agree to a contract extension with the club before making a move. The veteran is currently in the final season of his six-year, $27.3 million ($4.5 million AAV) contract with Calgary.

“The one thing about [a trade between Detroit and Calgary] is what we talked about with Quinn Hughes,” explained Friedman. “Hughes wanted to go to the Red Wings; they were one of the teams he was very interested in. But Steve Yzerman wouldn’t do that without an extension. I would have to think that Detroit would have to know what Andersson would sign for before they would do that.”

Red Wings Could Iron Out Trade to Acquire Rasmus Andersson in Coming Days

GettyRasmus Andersson will be one of the top trade targets ahead of the deadline.

Friedman went on to assert that an agreement between the Red Wings and Flames is not yet in place. The insider also admitted that while noise is “starting to pick up,” he does not believe that the Flames have given Detroit, or any other team, permission to talk to Andersson about a contract extension.

Despite the potential hiccup, the insider asserted that the Flames would prefer to deal Andersson ahead of the Olympics. The NHL is essentially shutting down for the winter games in Italy throughout February. As a result, clubs cannot make roster moves during this timeframe. Calgary could want to have a trade in place ahead of the Olympics in case Andersson suffers an unfortunate injury in Italy.

The Red Wings are one of several teams to be linked with Andersson, though. With Hughes off the board, the veteran could be the top blueliner available in the trade market. Friedman suggested that the Los Angeles Kings and Las Vegas Golden Knights are likely interested in Andersson as well.

Veteran Blueliner Would Give Red Wings a Boost

Andersson is currently having a solid campaign for the struggling Flames. In fact, the blueliner has almost equaled his entire point total from a year ago. Despite his team’s issues, the veteran has 28 total points in 45 games in 2025-26. He previously managed to rack up 31 points throughout the entire 2024-25 campaign.

On top of providing offense, Andersson remains extremely reliable in Calgary. He has played at least 78 regular-season games in each of the last four years. As far as this season goes, the defenseman has averaged the highest ice time of his entire career. Andersson has a 24:11 TOI in 2025-26 and just recently played 25:04 during a win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on January 10.

Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore

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