Despite a win last night in Chicago, the Flames’ news cycle continues to be dominated by Rasmus Andersson and trade talks. The Flames’ top trade asset remains the number one trade asset in the NHL, which has started plenty of debate among Flames fans on how the organization should handle the 29-year-old as the trade deadline nears.
Sit him and protect the asset, or let him play and continue to give the team the best chance to win?
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Sitting Andersson is the safe choice
Let’s start with what seems like the obvious choice, sitting Andersson amid trade talks. Teams do it all the time. When a player is guaranteed to be moved, they sit him in the pressbox to protect his health and their asset.
Injury risk is removed
The biggest reason to sit Andersson is obviously the health of the player. The last thing the Flames need is Andersson suffering a serious injury in a mostly meaningless January game. If Andersson ends up injured, the odds of him getting traded go way down. If it’s serious enough to keep him out all year, no one is going to be offering up anything of value for an injured, pending UFA.
We see teams do it all the time, the Flames themselves did it with Jarome Iginla way back when. The Arizona Coyotes once held Jakob Chychrun out for multiple games at a time while they worked on a trade. It’s smart asset management.
Asset management is of utter importance right now, and Andersson is currently the Flames’ most important asset. For an organization that watched a superstar in Johnny Gaudreau walk for nothing in free agency, they should know more than anyone that letting valuable free agents walk can have devastating impacts on the future of a team.
The reported return for Andersson is likely a first-round pick, plus a good prospect. That’s a massive get for a team in a “hybrid rebuild” like the Flames. Adding additional first-round picks plus a prospect like Nate Danielson would go a long way in making the Flames a contender in the future. Losing Andersson for nothing and also getting nothing for the future would be a devastating outcome for a team trying to get better.
You’ve let this thing drag on for months; don’t let yourself wait this long only to have Andersson go down with an injury weeks before the deadline. Turning all of this patience into a waste of time would be a terrible look for Conroy and the organization.
Your playoff chances are nearly zero anyways
Look, if the Flames were in a playoff spot or right on the cusp of one, you could argue Andersson should remain in the lineup. The problem is the Flame are nowhere close to the playoffs, with their current odds sitting under 5% in most models.
This is not a team in a playoff push; that window closed months ago. The season is a lost cause, and keeping Andersson out there to help you win games simply doesn’t achieve anything. Even with a win last night, the Flames remain seven points out of the playoffs with an extra game played.
Your chances of utilizing Andersson for a few more games leading to a playoff berth are nearly zero percent. I get he makes the team better, but the Flames don’t really need to be better right now. The playoffs are a distant dream and losing games is more useful at this point.
Sit Andersson, get young players like Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz into the lineup, and further your lottery odds. A win-win for everyone.
Does leverage improve?
To me, sitting Andersson may actually improve leverage for the Flames. It’s been reported that there are multiple teams in the running for the player, with no one standing out so far. If the Flames were to sit Andersson, it would likely show other teams that trade talks are heating up.
At this point, everyone in the league knows Andersson is getting moved; there’s no way to hide it. Continuing to play Andersson as some sort of smokescreen just doesn’t add up. You’re not convincing anyone that you’re holding onto him. The Flames are way out of the playoffs, and Andersson has shown no indication that he wants to remain in Calgary for the price they’re offering.
Sit the player, and let other teams know that you’re serious about moving this player sooner than later, so you better get your best offers in now before it’s too late and someone snaps him up for their playoff run.
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