The Calgary Flames are floundering in the basement of the Western Conference and will be sellers at the trade deadline. But according to a recent report, they are getting a head start on the deadline. The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported that trade talks are heating up around Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson.
“As others have noted, things have heated up on the Rasmus Andersson trade front. He wasn’t held out of the lineup last night, but sense is talks have intensified. Let’s see where it goes over the next 24-48 hours as to whether it gets done or not,” LeBrun reported.
Andersson is in the final year of his contract with a $4.55 million cap hit. As a right-handed defenseman, he will be a valuable asset for a contender to add for the stretch run. The Flames are looking to trade him ahead of his stint with Team Sweden at the 2026 Olympics.
The Flames already have two first-round picks in 2026 from the Noah Hanifin trade to the Vegas Golden Knights. Now, they are in a position to add another with an Andersson trade. Because of the crowded nature of the Eastern Conference standings, there are not many sellers at this point in the season. The Flames can use that to their advantage in the Andersson trade.
The Flames may not be done after trading Andersson. Rumors have heated up around bottom-six center Blake Coleman, but reports have also surfaced that he wants to remain in Calgary. Nazem Kadri could also be moved, but his deal is expensive, with only certain teams able to fit him in.
Things have not worked out for the Flames since the Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau departures. Trading away the veterans at this deadline to start a rebuild is the best next step. Then, the front office has to use the picks properly. But that doesn't come until June.
