Rasmus Andersson is not letting the NHL insiders dictate his future with the Calgary Flames.
Plenty of trade speculation has circled the 29-year-old as his contract with the Flames is set to expire at the end of the season. With Calgary in the midst of a rebuild, you would think that they would want to either get him signed as soon as possible or get something in return by trading him.
Andersson joined Sportsnet’s Eric Francis and Scott Oake after Saturday night’s 6-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights to discuss the situation. When asked about his future, Andersson made sure to name-drop NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, who previously reported that the defender was flip-flopping on whether or not he wanted to stay in Calgary.
“It’s a trade-freeze right now, so I can breathe easy,” Andersson laughed. “Nothing has changed from the summer to now. Elliotte [Friedman] likes to put out there that I go back and forth, but I haven’t really thought about anything except playing well for the Flames.
“Sometimes I just laugh when I read that I’m indecisive with my decisions and stuff like that. It humours me, and it’s for fun.”
If the Flames decide to trade Andersson, they could get quite a good return. The Swede has been playing great through the first three months of the season with seven goals and 25 points through 36 games.
He ranks 15th among NHL defencemen in points and would immediately be one of the most sought-after targets ahead of the upcoming trade deadline. The latest rumours connected him to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It must be quite a distraction to be in so many rumours, and Andersson commented on how he is handling it.
“You play in the NHL, there’s gonna be headlines, especially when you have a year left on your deal,” Andersson said. “We’re in the spotlight 24/7, it feels like… The older I get, the more I just laugh at what people say on the outside.
“They can write as much as they want, but I know, and my team knows, what’s really going on, and we keep it pretty close.”
As much as it feels like the Flames are careening toward an Andersson trade, the possibility remains that he signs an extension to stay. Though he would have to be okay with what may be a few more painful seasons ahead in Calgary.
Andersson commented on how contract talks have gone so far between the two sides.
“It takes two to tango,” Andersson said. “I love every second of me playing for the Flames, and I’ve been in the organization for 11 years, and I’ve loved every second of it. But let’s just leave it at it takes two to tango.”
Andersson’s current contract holds a cap hit of $4.5 million, which will certainly increase on whatever new deal he inks between now and July 1.