It’s time for another round of NHL rumours. We’re nearing the Winter Olympic break and the March 6 trade deadline. Teams are already thinking about whether or not they need to buy or sell at the deadline. General managers either want to make a push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs or acquire future assets. We could see some movement picking up in the coming weeks.
One team that has some tough choices to make is the Calgary Flames. This edition of NHL rumours deals with a defenceman that could be moved near the trade deadline.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Update on Future of Calgary Flames Defenceman
Rumour: We have a roundup of items relating to Flames blueliner Rasmus Andersson. The Chris Johnston Show mentioned that the Calgary Flames could be sending the Swedish defender somewhere sooner rather than later.
Analysis: Andersson’s name has been the subject of trade talks for many months. The 29-year-old is in the final year of a deal that sees him making $4.55 million per season. It seems that general manager Craig Conroy wants to do the right thing and get Andersson on a contender.
The veteran defenceman could be useful for any team trying to make a deep post-season run. Andersson currently has 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points, so his offensive prowess would be welcome on a roster that’s seeking points from the back end.
However, Andersson does have some kind of control over his fate. The veteran rearguard has a modified six-team, no-trade list. However, it would seem that Conroy would make a move to help the Flames’ roster and put Andersson on a contender.
What It Means
In previous editions of NHL rumours, we’ve talked about a few teams that been interested in the puck-moving defenceman. However, there’s one team that could emerge as a potential suitor for Andersson at the trade deadline.
On a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned that the Detroit Red Wings could be a player to acquire the defenceman. Detroit could set its sights on Andersson after missing out on a highly coveted target that was already traded earlier in the season.
Friedman stated that the Wings and general manager Steve Yzerman were in on Quinn Hughes when the Vancouver Canucks made him available. The insider added that Hughes had interest in Detroit, but Yzerman walked away when the asking price was deemed too high. Hughes was ultimately traded to the Minnesota Wild.
Yzerman has now seemingly pivoted to Andersson and could be in on New Jersey Devils blueliner Dougie Hamilton. However, Yzerman would likely want an extension done before completing a trade. Detroit probably doesn’t want to give up a ton of assets for just renting Andersson.
The impending roster freeze prior to the Olympics may force the hands of teams that want to make a move. Rosters are set to be frozen from 3 p.m. February 4 until 11:59 p.m. February 26, so the pressure could be on to make a trade.
Main photo by: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images