The Calgary Flames have been without a captain since Mark Giordano left the organization in 2021. General manager, Craig Conroy, made it clear that the team would name a new one before the start of this upcoming season.
Throughout the last few months, many candidates have been discussed and it seems the Flames finally narrowed it down to one.
Oh captain, my captain
According to a report from Eric Francis this afternoon, defenceman Rasmus Andersson is most likely the player that will be named captain of the Calgary Flames very soon. This will be Andersson’s first time wearing a letter for the Flames, never being an alternate captain before. When it is official, Andersson will become the 16th captain for the franchise since relocating to Calgary and the 8th defenceman to receive the honors.
We previously took a look at the very strong case that Andersson had at being named the next captain, so this comes as no surprise to many.
Francis’ report also subtly mentioned Andersson’s commitment to Calgary played a big role as supposedly Mikael Backlund was going to be the choice had he re-signed this summer.
Career history
Andersson has been with the Flames organization for the past 8 years of his career since being drafted by the team in the 2nd round with the 53rd pick during the 2015 draft. Before being drafted, he spent time with the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL. With the Redhawks, he totaled out with 24 points in 81 games. He then joined the OHL and the Barrie Colts for his draft year and the year after and finished with 124 points in 131 games.
On April 8th, 2017, Andersson made his NHL debut in the final game of the season against the San Jose Sharks. Andersson would spend two years with the Flames then AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat, before playing his first full NHL season in 2018-19. During that year, Andersson scored his first NHL goal against the Philadelphia Flyers on December 12th, 2018. Andersson has blossomed into a top defenceman for the Flames and definitely their best offensively. So far in 377 career games, he has accumulated 27 goals and 134 assists for 161 points and a points per game of 0.43.
The best fit
For a team that’s in dire need of an identity, getting younger, and players who want to play for them, naming a captain was crucial for the Flames and Andersson is a great choice. Andersson will be turning 27 years old early into the season, placing him in his prime and the perfect age for captain material. He is still under contract from his 6-year extension back in 2020, leaving him with 3 seasons left on the deal.
Rasmus Andersson definitely has shoes to fill and this will be a huge step in his career. It’s very likely Andersson will fill the role perfectly and we should be seeing him wearing two C’s for the Flames for years to come.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
