According to Frank Seravalli, the Calgary Flames and right-shot defenseman Rasmus Andersson have begun discussing a contract extension, and the parties are far apart in terms of money. The 28-year-old right-shot defenseman is about to enter the final year of his six-year pact with a team-friendly $4.55 cap hit.
The veteran was a second-round pick at the 2015 draft and has been a mainstay on the Flames’ blueline for the last seven years. From a primarily defensive defenseman, he has evolved into a two-way rearguard with an offensive upside. In 2021-22, he recorded a career-high 50 points in 82 games. The following season, he maintained his production with 49 points in 79 games, but his last two campaigns have been less productive with 39 and 31 points, respectively. This past season, he also posted a career-low minus-38.
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A real Swiss-knife on the blueline, the 6-foot-1 and 201-pound defenseman does it all for the Flames, averaging nearly 24 minutes of ice-time per game. He plays on the top pairing, the power play (spending an average of two minutes per game on the ice with the man-advantage), and the penalty kill.
Given the decline in production, it’s not surprising that the two sides are far apart from a monetary standpoint. Part of the decline could be down to his playing with a broken fibula in the last 12 games of the season. A stretch in which he put up four points while the Alberta outfit was desperately trying to qualify for the playoffs. They finished with the same amount of points as the St. Louis Blues, but the Missouri side had the tie-breaker and got to face the Winnipeg Jets in the first round.
With David Savard’s retirement, the Montreal Canadiens could benefit from an experienced blueliner on the right side of defense, and acquiring Andersson could be a worthy avenue to explore for GM Kent Hughes.
The Habs have made significant progress this past season, qualifying for the playoffs, and it might just be time to add some impactful veterans to help the Tricolore’s young core. Hughes has already made three trades with the Flames since his appointment in 2022. He sent Tyler Toffoli their way in February 2022, acquiring Tyler Pitlick, Emil Heineman, a conditional first-round pick in 2022 (which became the 26th overall pick and was used to pick Filip Mesar), and a fifth-round pick at the 2025 draft. He also sent Michael McNiven their way for future considerations. Finally, in August 2022, he acquired Sean Monahan and a conditional first-round pick in the 2025 draft, which will be the 16th overall, for future considerations.
However, those deals were made when Brad Treliving was at the helm of the Alberta side; he has since moved on to the Toronto Maple Leafs and been replaced by Craig Conroy, a former Canadiens’ draft pick in 1990 and a Flames alumnus. Since taking over, Conroy has pulled the trigger on a dozen deals, none of which were with the Canadiens. Last Summer, he traded Andrew Mangiapane away as he was about to enter the last year of his contract. The GM wanted more draft capital and cap flexibility. In March 2024, he also traded defenseman Noah Hanifin to the Vegas Golden Knights in a deal. The left-shot defenseman who was about to command a raise, which he got days later, signed a new pact with the Knights.
In other words, if the financial gap between the two sides cannot be bridged, Conroy has been known to trade assets rather than let them hit the market. The Flames’ pick cupboard is not bare; they have seven selections in each of the subsequent three drafts, but it’s not exactly overflowing either. The Canadiens currently have 12 picks at the upcoming draft, nine in 2026 and seven in 2027. Montreal has two first-round picks and two second-round picks in next week’s draft, which could be in play to fill one of their needs.
If Calgary moves Andersson, it won’t be for cheap; it took a first-round pick, a third-round one, and right-shot defenseman Daniil Miromanov for Vegas to acquire Hanifin back at the 2024 trade deadline.
If Conroy is still interested in future assets and prospects, there’s no doubt Hughes has got plenty to work with and could put together a very enticing package, but Montreal likely won’t be alone in the running. Right-shot defensemen are hard to come by on the market, and there will be plenty of other bidders.
Hughes has accustomed us to plenty of action around the drafts, acquiring Kirby Dach at his first one, Alex Newhook on the eve of his second one, and flipping picks to move up in the first round at the 2024 one. What does he have in store for us this time around? Time will tell…
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
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