Rasmus Andersson Will Likely Be Trade Deadline Move By Flames

The Calgary Flames are entering into a rebuild regardless of if the team wants to admit it or not. There are some players on larger contracts that are more difficult to move and may keep the group from finishing last place, but overall, a lot of big players were moved and the Flames have gotten much younger.

While there is much more opportunity for players this season, it's likely that the Flames are going to continue to sell off some pieces in order to build for the future. It's going to be a number of years before Calgary is a contender again, so the sooner the team gets assets into their system, the better.

With that being said, Eric Francis is certain that the Flames are going to trade defenseman Rasmus Andersson at either the 2025 trade deadline or the 2026 trade deadline. This means that an extension is probably not in store for the 27-year-old who has two years left on his deal at $4.55 million AAV.

Andersson is a top-4 right-shot defenseman and both of those elevate his trade value, even if just by a little bit. Depending on the team and the situation, Calgary could get more value by trading him this season with another year left on his deal, especially if they retain, or get better value by waiting for a team to offer something good up to acquire him as a rental.

The Flames have five defensemen 27 years of age or younger that should be on the roster this season with a few more highly talented d-men on the way. In a rebuild, it would be a huge missed opportunity to not get something for Andersson who may leave at the end of his deal anyways and should be able to be replaced in time.