The Calgary Flames have had a very quiet offseason so far, but that could change at the drop of a hat. It’s no hidden secret that general manager (GM) Craig Conroy has been, and is continuing to, search for a young, NHL-ready centreman who fits into the Flames’ retooling timeline.
Related: Flames May Be Better Off to Extend Andersson Rather Than Trade Him
Conroy isn’t wanting just any centre, but one that has the potential to play top-line minutes. This has been at the top of his wish list for plenty of time, though finding one is no easy feat. The Flames did attempt to address this issue at this year’s draft by selecting two centremen in the first round, though with the picks coming at No. 18 and No. 32 overall, they are by no means guaranteed to become NHL players.
Instead, the Flames both need and want a sure thing, a young centre who has already had NHL reps that prove what he’s capable of in the best league in the world. Very rarely do other teams make these types of players available through trade, but luckily enough for the Flames, it seems as though one who checks all their boxes can be had for the right price.
Ducks Continuing to Shop McTavish
As most hockey fans are well aware, it seems as though Mason McTavish may be wearing a different sweater by the time the 2025-26 season rolls around. The third overall pick from the 2021 Draft, viewed not only as a pillar of the Anaheim Ducks organization but at one point their potential future captain, is reportedly frustrated with his role to this point in his career. He also still remains without a contract for the upcoming season.
Still just 22 years old, McTavish has surpassed the 40-point marker in all three of his NHL seasons, including a career-best 22-goal, 52-point output in 2024-25. The numbers aren’t outstanding just yet, but with McTavish, there’s far more to his game than just his stat totals.
McTavish may not look overly big at 6-foot-1, 219 pounds, but he plays a man’s game. He has no issue being physical and will never shy away when it comes to battling for pucks in the corners. He has leadership qualities, as proven by the fact that he wore the ‘C’ for Canada when they won gold at the 2022 World Juniors, a tournament in which he had eight goals and 17 points in seven outings.
As far as a player being available that fits the Flames’ needs, there may not be a better player imaginable than McTavish. He has all the potential in the world to be a top-line centre, has great leadership abilities for a team with several young pieces, and fits into their retooling timeline from an age perspective perfectly. The question is, what would the Flames give up?
Andersson Would Help Ducks
The Ducks are a team that is very much on the up and up. They have some fantastic young talent and had a drastic improvement in the standings this past season. They aren’t all too far away from being a contender, which was a big part of the reason why they were able to land head coach Joel Quenneville earlier this summer.
The one area of the Ducks’ roster that remains flawed is their blue line. They have an excellent young forward group and a good young starting goalie in Lukas Dostal, but still need to improve their back end in order to morph into a true contender. That’s where Rasmus Andersson comes into play.
Andersson is entering the final year of his contract and is essentially guaranteed to be moved ahead of the trade deadline, as he and the Flames were well apart on extension talks. The 28-year-old blueliner didn’t have the best season in 2024-25, but would be a top-pairing option in Anaheim as he’s been for many years in Calgary.
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The Flames have been hesitant on trading Andersson to this point, as it’s hard to get the return they desire if he isn’t willing to sign an extension with the team on the other end of the deal. He could have serious interest in signing long-term with the Ducks, however. They are a team on the up and up, have an elite head coach, and are in one of the warmest markets in the NHL. They also have more than $20 million in cap space, meaning they could pay him what he feels he’s worth and perhaps then some.
Flames May Need to Add On
While the premise of this potential blockbuster would involve McTavish and Andersson, the Ducks may require more than just the veteran blueliner in such a deal. After all, McTavish still boasts star potential and holds a ton of value throughout the league. That could require the Flames to potentially part ways with a draft pick or a middle-of-the-road prospect, though that shouldn’t hold them back when it comes to pulling the trigger. If this is a trade the Ducks are open to, the Flames need to be all over it.
