Calgary Flames' defenseman Rasmus Andersson is the next most significant piece on the trade block now that Quinn Hughes joined the Minnesota Wild. Right-hand shot defenseman who can contribute offensively is a hot commodity in the NHL, and the Flames believe they'll fetch an excellent return for his services. It looks like general manager Craig Conroy is starting to see what a deal might look like, according to Darren Dreger via TSN's Insider Trading.
“Yeah, and look, the Toronto Maple Leafs right now are in a bit of a predicament,” Dreger reported. “Of course, they would have interest, and continued interest, in Rasmus Andersson or another top-four defenceman for that matter, but they need the prices to come down, they need more sellers in the market.”
Dreger's report confirms that all the teams looking for a defenseman are zeroing in on Andersson. It's bad news for a team like the Maple Leafs, which doesn't have many assets to send to the Flames in a trade. As more teams join the bidding war, Toronto will continue to get taken further out of the running.
The Flames won't get the haul the Vancouver Canucks got from Bill Guerin and the Wild. However, as the trade deadline draws closer, teams will start putting together more dramatic offers. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Andersson fetch the most significant return at this year's deadline, which would be great news for the Flames' quest to complete a quick, productive rebuild and get the organization back on track.
