Heading into this season, the Calgary Flames still had some questions looming over the team. The biggest one was how the team’s performance would affect the future of high profile players, such as Rasmus Andersson.
As the Flames continue to stay in the mushy middle, these questions have gotten louder as the team continues to play mediocre hockey. While the team has technically entered a rebuild, their desire for the playoffs still remains, which worries fans that the result will once again be mediocrity.
Regarding Andersson specifically, there seems to be a split amongst the fanbase on what the Flames should do with the 28-year-old Swedish defenceman. Is a trade inevitable? Or would signing him long-term be the preferred method? As the Flames continue their journey towards mediocrity, Andersson’s future becomes even harder to predict.
What Flames fans think about Andersson
So, what does the fanbase think about Andersson’s future with the team? In our latest Sunday Census piece, we asked Flames fans their thoughts on how the team should approach this issue.
Out of 862 people who voted, 44.9% of them believed that the Flames should look to trade Andersson, while 40.7% of fans wanted him to sign a contract extension to remain in Calgary. The other 14.4% believed that the team should just wait and approach the issue next season. Therefore the divide between fans is quite substantial. I personally believe that the team should trade Andersson, but there are good arguments to be made for an extension as well.
It just shows how this is an issue that fans are eager to know the answer to. If the Flames trade Andersson, that means they’re truly committed to the rebuild direction as opposed to signing him, where they would still think they can turn this around quickly. Keeping Andersson means there would be a surplus of right-handed defencemen as the Flames have many intriguing players in their prospect pool who can fulfil that role. If you trade him, you’re likely getting picks and prospects back, which further benefits the future.
There’s also the issue of what his ask would be if the Flames were to enter contract negotiations. I believe Andersson will make between $7.5-8.25 million on his next deal, and has the potential to make even more if he tests free agency. For a player who is entering his thirties soon, would it make sense for the Flames to sign another veteran to a big contract?
Why being mediocre is making this decision a lot harder
The Flames have definitely overachieved this season, but are still on track to finish right in the middle. It’s the worst possible outcome, but it’s a situation Flames fans are all too familiar with.
It’s now up to Craig Conroy to determine his position. I doubt he’s easily fooled with how this team has played, but you never know. The Flames were lucky last season that their selloff was largely due to their pending UFA’s refusing to sign extensions and essentially forcing the team to trade them.
Now with how valued Andersson is in this market, would he be willing to sign here with the belief that he can get a chance to win in Calgary? Or will he follow the footsteps of his former teammates to find an opportunity elsewhere?
To me, the answer is pretty obvious. Being mediocre is going to get you nowhere, and the Flames need to fully commit to the rebuilding direction. In their current state, if the Flames don’t acquire elite talent, I don’t see how players such as Andersson view this team as being a place where they can win. Sounds harsh but it’s the honest truth. It’s why this fanbase is so sick of being in the middle, as it makes the tough decisions a whole lot harder to make.
I’m aware that you can’t tell professional athletes to purposefully lose, and they should be trying their hardest to win every night. It’s up to management to make the tough decisions and to fully stick to a direction they’ve paved out, instead of constantly flipping back and forth, which we’ve seen plenty of with past management regimes in Calgary.
