Whether it’s days, weeks, or months, the Calgary Flames will be moving on from Rasmus Andersson. The two sides recently got together to discuss a potential extension, and were said to be far apart on numbers. As a result, the Swedish blueliner has indicated he is ready to move on, which is the best decision for both parties.
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There isn’t a rush for the Flames to trade Andersson, seeing as he still has one more year left on his deal. That said, many teams would be interested in acquiring him right away, as they would have themselves a very good defenceman for an entire season on a cap hit of just $4.55 million. As a result, it’s possible he gets traded as soon as the draft on Friday, and should that happen, these six teams would all make for very good fits.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Don’t be surprised to see the Columbus Blue Jackets make some moves this offseason. They have a lot of cap space, a relatively new management regime, and are looking to turn things around after several disappointing seasons. Andersson could be a great start in making that happen, as he would greatly improve their back end heading into the 2025-26 season and beyond.
From Andersson’s perspective, heading to Columbus would give him the opportunity to play with some former teammates in Sean Monahan and Erik Gudbranson. They are also slowly building up to be a contender, as they have some very intriguing young talents on their roster.
Florida Panthers
Could the rich get richer? Well, maybe that’s not entirely the case in this scenario. The Florida Panthers may need to improve their right side on the back end, as Aaron Ekblad is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) and, unless he takes a major discount, won’t be signing an extension. That would make Andersson a perfect fit.
The Panthers may not be able to sign Andersson to an extension like many other teams on this list, but they would still be willing to give up plenty for him as they look to win their third-straight Stanley Cup. As if the winning weren’t enough, Andersson would also get an opportunity to play with Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and A.J. Greer once again.
Ottawa Senators
One team that has been linked to Andersson for quite some time is the Ottawa Senators. They could use an improvement on the right side, and proved to the world that they are very much on the rise following a successful 2024-25 season. The talent they have in their organization suggests they will develop into a contender for years to come.
Andersson would remain in a Canadian market in this scenario, albeit one that has far less attention and media pressure than the majority of other markets north of the border. This team is just beginning to get into their contending window, which should be of huge interest to the 28-year-old Andersson.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are going to need to make some improvements to their roster after being ousted by the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final for the second-straight year. They will also need to find a right-shot defenceman to replace Cody Ceci, who logged big minutes on the back end after being picked up at the trade deadline.
The Stars don’t have a lot of cap space at the moment, but were able to pick some up by trading Mason Marchment, and are also rumoured to be shopping Jason Robertson. Should they move Robertson, Andersson could wind up being a perfect fit for the 2025-26 campaign and possibly beyond.
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are not only looking to make some big splashes this offseason in order to end their lengthy playoff drought, but they also need to replace several defencemen. Andersson would be a great fit for them, and he may be able to milk some extra money out of a very desperate team should extension talks come into play.
Though the Red Wings aren’t as appealing as some other teams on this list, they too have some solid young talent that suggests they aren’t all too far away from becoming a very good team in the Eastern Conference. Andersson, of course, would help improve them in a big way.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Going to the hockey-crazed market that is Toronto can scare players away from signing with the Maple Leafs, but Andersson isn’t the type of player who fears the bright lights. He loves being the center of attention out on the ice, and his personality suggests he would be a great fit.
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Andersson has a long-lasting relationship with Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, and also spent several seasons playing with Chris Tanev. The Maple Leafs should have cap room with both Mitch Marner and John Tavares expected to head elsewhere in free agency, giving them more than enough money to trade for and extend Andersson should they be interested in doing so.
Andersson Will Land Good Return
Since taking over as the Flames’ general manager ahead of the 2023-24 season, Craig Conroy has done a solid job in trading veterans for draft picks and prospects that will allow this organization to become competitive in the near future. Andersson is arguably his biggest trade chip yet, and fans should feel confident that he can get a significant return for the Swedish defenceman.
