{"id":359828,"date":"2025-12-17T01:06:23","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T01:06:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/359828\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T01:06:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T01:06:23","slug":"interest-picks-up-on-calgary-flames-rasmus-andersson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/359828\/","title":{"rendered":"Interest picks up on Calgary Flames\u2019 Rasmus Andersson"},"content":{"rendered":"

TSN\u2019s Hockey Insiders on the market for Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson<\/a> after the Quinn Hughes<\/a> trade, what sort of help the Leafs need, the Devils seeking a centre, the Lightning unhappy after another Panthers hit on Brandon Hagel<\/a>, Team Canada hopefuls hoping for short injury absences and new Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen<\/a> hoping to re-sign Alex Tuch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

JAMES DUTHIE: Your Insiders: Chris Johnston, Pierre LeBrun, and Darren Dreger. <\/p>\n

Suppose we could have done TradeCentre on Friday with the Tristan Jarry<\/a>–Stuart Skinner<\/a> deal, followed by the Quinn Hughes<\/a> blockbuster. And so we ask, Pierre, who is next and could it finally be Rasmus Andersson<\/a>?<\/p>\n

PIERRE LeBRUN: Well, James, I don\u2019t know that he\u2019s next. I think this is still going to need some work, but what I am hearing is that the Calgary Flames<\/a> suddenly got more calls on Rasmus Andersson<\/a> after the Quinn Hughes<\/a> trade. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s not surprising. There aren\u2019t going to be that many top-four defencemen moving between now and the March 6 trade deadline. <\/p>\n

What is going to be interesting is how the Flames handle that potential trade. Do they move him as a traditional rental? He\u2019s a pending UFA. Or do they involve the agent, Claude Lemieux<\/a>, into a potential sign-and-trade to get more value in a trade?<\/p>\n

One thing I should mention is that among the teams that have circled back on Rasmus Andersson<\/a> is the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a>. <\/p>\n

We know the Leafs tried to trade for Andersson last year at the deadline, and why I mentioned Toronto is that my understanding is that the Leafs would be one of those teams that perhaps Andersson would consider extending with, if in fact a trade would work out between those two teams.<\/p>\n

DARREN DREGER: Yeah, and look, the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> right now are in a bit of a predicament. Of course, they would have interest, and continued interest, in Rasmus Andersson<\/a> or another top-four defenceman for that matter, but they need the prices to come down, they need more sellers in the market.<\/p>\n

Right now, that\u2019s not the case. So, Toronto has to hold their own in the standings and hope for the best. But what is becoming increasingly clear is, is it a top-four defenceman that\u2019s needed, or is it a top-line winger to help get Auston Matthews<\/a> going and returning to the player that he was not that long ago? <\/p>\n

So, an interesting decision looming for general manager Brad Treliving, with somewhat limited assets. Landing either is definitely going to be a challenge in Toronto.<\/p>\n

DUTHIE: The New Jersey Devils<\/a> need some help, as well. They lose out on the Quinn Hughes<\/a> sweepstakes, can\u2019t unite him with his brothers, but still looking at other things possibly, Dregs?<\/p>\n

DREGER: Yeah, definitely looking. Now, the good news for Tom Fitzgerald and the New Jersey Devils<\/a> is, slowly, they are getting healthy.<\/p>\n

It sounds like Brett Pesce<\/a>, the defenceman, is ready to come back, and in the mix, Jack Hughes<\/a> isn\u2019t that far away. <\/p>\n

But as much as they would have loved to have had Quinn Hughes<\/a> based on the talent and the character, the reality is they\u2019re shopping for a centreman, and their belief is that would really bolster what they have up front. We\u2019ve seen Dawson Mercer<\/a> shifted to the wing. Well, that\u2019s his natural spot, so they like the idea of leaving him there.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s no heightened sense of urgency, just a shopping list for the Devils.<\/p>\n

DUTHIE: Florida Panthers<\/a>–Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a> games have become must-watch TV, at least for the NHL Player Safety Department. C.J., I think we\u2019ve done this twice before where Tampa is upset about a hit on Brandon Hagel<\/a>?<\/p>\n

CHRIS JOHNSTON: Yeah, and the third time is not the charm for the Lightning in this case. <\/p>\n

I think the way that the Lightning feel is that even without the history – and there is history – even if it wasn\u2019t intentional, that they feel that Seth Jones<\/a>, with the forearm that he delivered to Brandon Hagel<\/a>\u2019s head area, knocking him out of that game, an unpenalized hit in the game I should mention, in and of itself, should be worth supplemental discipline. <\/p>\n

Obviously, that was not agreed upon by Player Safety. Seth Jones<\/a> escaping here with no extra punishment.<\/p>\n

I think you know when you add all of the history together, this is the third straight game Hagel has left against Florida after taking a blow to the head, and the fact that even they had that big melee during the preseason where a couple of Lightning players got suspended, Jon Cooper got fined, the Lightning got fined, nothing on the Panthers\u2019 end. <\/p>\n

I think Tampa is scratching its head right now about the way that the league is adjudicating some of these things.<\/p>\n

DUTHIE: The sidebar story to so many injuries right now, Hagel joins a list of prominent Team Canada hopefuls hurt right now, and the question is how long they are out and does it affect the process of whether they\u2019ll be on the roster, C.J.?<\/p>\n

JOHNSTON: Yeah, and let\u2019s remind everyone you can make injury replacements right up to the start of the Olympics, so this will be something that we continue to monitor, but it has been a bad couple of days for some hopefuls. <\/p>\n

Starting with Hagel, right now there\u2019s not a lot of clarity. He obviously was not feeling too good after Monday\u2019s game, he\u2019s had a history of head-related injuries. I think that one\u2019s going to have to settle down before getting some clarity.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a little better for some of the others, including Connor Bedard<\/a> of the Chicago Blackhawks<\/a>. <\/p>\n

He is out until the New Year, it sounds like, which means he won\u2019t play another game before they select the team, which might be a problem in and of itself. But there is a feeling in Chicago that his shoulder injury won\u2019t be too serious. <\/p>\n

Same for Darcy Kuemper<\/a>, he left the game in Los Angeles for the Kings on Monday, and he is expected back, perhaps, just before the Christmas break or maybe the first game afterwards. But certainly nothing that should jeopardize his Olympic participation. <\/p>\n

Finally, Shea Theodore<\/a> with the Vegas Golden Knights<\/a>. He\u2019s day-to-day, nothing too serious.<\/p>\n

DUTHIE: And quickly, Pierre, Jarmo Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen takes over in Buffalo. What would priority No. 1 be as far as contracts go?<\/p>\n

LeBRUN: Certainly it\u2019s Alex Tuch<\/a>. Really one of the most prominent pending UFAs who wasn\u2019t part of all these extensions that were signed over the last few months.<\/p>\n

Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen absolutely wants to get those talks back on track with the Bartlett family, Brian Bartlett representing Alex Tuch<\/a>. <\/p>\n

I should note that Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen had a pretty good feel of what his predecessor, Kevyn Adams<\/a>, was talking about with the Bartletts, so he\u2019s not starting fresh here. <\/p>\n

But at the end of the day, my understanding is that the Sabres weren\u2019t willing to go to double digits on the AAV, which is why these talks had fizzled. <\/p>\n

We\u2019ll see if Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen can get this guy signed.<\/p>\n

DUTHIE: You feel like the GM move is just the start of changes in Buffalo. <\/p>\n

Insider Trading.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TSN\u2019s Hockey Insiders on the market for Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson after the Quinn Hughes trade, what sort…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":359829,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[34911,4759,47352,32571,895,26,32473,5294,33300,47402,896,5,33382,4,32578,47403,33549,32467],"class_list":{"0":"post-359828","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-calgary-flames","8":"tag-alex-tuch-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8477949","9":"tag-apple-news","10":"tag-brandon-hagel-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8479542","11":"tag-buffalo-sabres-sports-hockey-team-team-nhl-api-7","12":"tag-calgary","13":"tag-calgary-flames","14":"tag-calgary-flames-sports-hockey-team-team-nhl-api-20","15":"tag-calgaryflames","16":"tag-connor-bedard-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8484144","17":"tag-darcy-kuemper-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8475311","18":"tag-flames","19":"tag-hockey","20":"tag-new-jersey-devils-sports-hockey-team-team-nhl-api-1","21":"tag-nhl","22":"tag-rasmus-andersson-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8478397","23":"tag-shea-theodore-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8477447","24":"tag-tampa-bay-lightning-sports-hockey-team-team-nhl-api-14","25":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs-sports-hockey-team-team-nhl-api-10"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=359828"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359828\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/359829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=359828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=359828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=359828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}