After failing to make the postseason for the third year in a row, the Calgary Flames now have time to review everything. One specific player they must consider is Rasmus Andersson. He is currently coming off a mediocre season, which faltered after his hot start. The Flames defenceman only has one year left on his contract. Is it time to move on from him? Or sign him to a long-term extension?
Andersson’s time as a Flame
The Flames drafted Andersson in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. Since that moment, Andersson has worked his way up from the OHL and AHL to become an NHL regular. With all things considered, he was an excellent draft pick by the Flames who developed into a solid second-line defenceman. The Flames acquired his draft pick from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Sven Baertschi. This is one of the most positive trades that have impacted the current roster.
Andersson has spent parts of nine seasons with the Flames organization. He started as a depth defenceman until he broke out in the 2021–22 season. Here, he became the top offensive defenceman on the Flames, recording 50 points across 82 games. Andersson has fallen off a bit since that season, losing significance in the Flames’ lineup. The long-term signing of MacKenzie Weegar solidified the fact that Andersson is a secondary defenceman.
To start this season, Andersson was the best player on the Flames. He scored four goals and 10 points in October, leading the team in points. Afterwards, he fell off hard in his production, only recording 21 more points for the rest of the season. Andersson only has one year left on his contract at a $4.55M cap hit. This makes him a prime trade piece for the Flames, as he is a good defenceman for that price. It makes sense considering that Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz are young right-handed shot defencemen who could play in the NHL next year.
Potential future contract
Whether the Flames extend Andersson or not, he will most likely be looking for a long-term deal with good money. His previous contract with the Flames was a six-year deal. Andersson would likely want to sign a six-to-eight-year deal on his next contract. Let’s look at some recent contracts that could compare to what Rasmus Andersson could get.
Neal Pionk
The contract for Neal Pionk is exactly what Flames fans can expect for a potential Andersson extension. Pionk is a steady top-four defenceman on the Winnipeg Jets, but is not their superstar defenceman. He plays behind Josh Morrissey, quarterbacking their second power play unit. This is extremely similar to what Andersson does for the Flames. Playing behind Weegar will keep Andersson in the same role as Pionk. Considering that both of these players are roughly the same age, it makes perfect sense for Andersson’s next contract to look like this.
Jakob Chychrun
The Jakob Chychrun contract is the type of deal that the Flames want to avoid. This kind of contract would make Andersson the second-highest-paid player on the Flames, just behind Jonathan Huberdeau. J Chychrun’s contract makes sense for the Washington Capitals, as he is their number one defenceman of the future, with John Carlson’s best days well behind him. This is not the case in Calgary. Andersson will not be the future number-one defender on the Flames’ blueline, especially with Zayne Parekh most likely joining the team next season. It’s time for Craig Conroy to think about trading Andersson.
Potential trade destinations
Two teams that make sense for Andersson are the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Dallas Stars. The Blue Jackets are desperately trying to get back into the playoffs, while the Stars are looking to go on multiple Stanley Cup runs.
Looking at the current roster of the Blue Jackets, Andersson could be a top-pairing defenceman for them next season. There is a possibility that the Blue Jackets will lose defencemen Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro in free agency. If this occurs, their right side on defence is wide open for a player like Andersson. He would fit on the top line with Zach Werenski and be a solid addition to their special teams. This would be a good trade option for the Flames because the Blue Jackets have solid draft picks available and lots of prospects.
The right side of the Stars’ blueline is pretty weak. Running Cody Ceci, Ilya Lyubushkin, and Alex Petrovic in the playoffs is not a recipe for success. This is without star defenceman Miro Heiskanen in the lineup, but the right side must be stronger than that, regardless of injuries. The addition of Matt Dumba has not turned out to be the greatest either.
All of these factors make perfect sense for the Stars to trade for Andersson. It would be tough to make things work with the cap situation, but good teams always find a way. This trade destination would not provide the greatest value for the Flames, as the Stars have low draft capital and mediocre prospects. In the big picture, it would be better to make this trade than to sign Andersson to a long-term deal.
Conroy must make a decision about Andersson before it is too late. It would be terrible for the franchise to lose him for nothing.
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