The Calgary Flames have made their first, and perhaps only deal ahead of the trade deadline. After speculation dating all the way back to the 2024-25 season, the Flames dealt Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday in a move plenty of the fan base isn’t particularly thrilled with.
In return, the Golden Knights have sent the Flames defenceman Zach Whitecloud, their first-round pick in 2027, a conditional second-round pick in 2028, and 22-year-old blueline prospect Abram Wiebe.
Overall, the return is rather disappointing given that Flames fans had hoped to land a top prospect in the trade. That became quite difficult, however, as Andersson had made it clear he had no intention of signing an extension with any team regardless of who acquired him. Unless the Golden Knights are able to impress him with what they have to offer both on and off the ice, it appears that the 29-year-old is set on entering free agency this offseason.
Losing Andersson will impact the Flames in many ways. Not only was he having a fantastic season, but he’s also spent eight full seasons patrolling the blueline in Calgary. He’s become an excellent leader over that time, and was very popular amongst his teammates. It’s also a big blow to the fans, who see the tenure of one of their favourite players with the organization come to an end.
Related: What’s Next for the Calgary Flames After Trading Rasmus Andersson?
Fans who were hoping an Andersson return could help speed up their rebuilding timeline are certainly frustrated by this return, and they have every right to be. That said, once the dust settles, there are still two big positives that come from this deal. Let’s take a look at them.
Flames Won’t Make Up Ground in Standings
Many Flames fans have been hoping to see this team finish near the bottom of the standings this season. After years of mediocrity, they have their sights set on a high draft pick this June. The upcoming draft features many potential franchise-changing talents such as Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Keaton Verhoeff.
Prior to dealing Andersson, who was having a truly incredible season, the Flames sat 28th in NHL standings. They are just two points ahead of the 31st-placed Winnipeg Jets. Barring a miracle, they aren’t going to be rising up the standings with Andersson removed from their blueline.
Andersson has been the Flames’ MVP this season. Through 48 games, he managed 10 goals and 30 points. He’s also managed a team-leading 24:14 in ice time, while having a plus/minus of +3 on a team whose goal differential is -17 on the season.
With Andersson out of the fold, the Flames will have to rely even more on MacKenzie Weegar. The 30-year-old has also been tasked with heavy minutes, averaging what is now a team-leading 23:17. The issue with that is that Weegar, a usually very dependable blueliner, is having by far and away his worst season since arriving to the Flames ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Related: MacKenzie Weegar’s Struggles Becoming Impossible for Calgary Flames to Ignore
Though they were able to bring in Whitecloud, a right-shot defenceman himself, he is nowhere near the same calibre of player as Andersson. As a result, head coach Ryan Huska is going to have to deploy some of his other blueliners more than he has to this point in the season. That in itself will hurt the Flames and could see them rack up losses on an even more regular basis than they have so far in 2025-26.
More Opportunity for Young Defencemen
The other positive from moving Andersson is what was touched on briefly in that last paragraph. Moving on from him opens up opportunities for players that have a long-term future in this organization, specifically Zayne Parekh. The 19-year-old defenceman, who is currently on a conditioning loan with the Calgary Wranglers, has suited up for just 11 games with the Flames this season. Once he returns, he will likely be in the lineup on a nightly basis and will see his minutes increased.
Another young defenceman that will need to be counted on more is Yan Kuznetsov. The 23-year-old has been a pleasant surprise for the Flames this season, averaging north of 20 minutes of ice time in his rookie campaign. Playing alongside Weegar, those minutes should only go up further as the Flames look to evaluate whether or not he can truly be a top-four defenceman in the NHL.
Last but not least is Hunter Brzustewicz. The 21-year-old, who was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in the Elias Lindholm deal, has suited up for 14 games with the Flames this season. He’s looked fine since being called up in early December, but has played limited minutes. With Andersson gone, he should be thrown into the fire more often than we’ve seen so far. There may be some speed bumps along the way for all three, but it should do wonders in terms of their development.
Flames Could Be Quiet Moving Forward
Getting this deal out of the way has to be somewhat of a sigh of relief for general manager (GM) Craig Conroy. Getting Andersson out of the fold means that the Flames only have Ryan Lomberg, Justin Kirkland, and Jake Bean remaining as pending unrestricted free agents. None of the three are expected to generate much buzz at the trade deadline, and may be held onto.
Related: Huberdeau Has Become a Problem for the Flames Once Again
There is still buzz surrounding both Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman, though neither player needs to be moved given that they still have term on their contracts. One or perhaps both could be moved, but it wouldn’t come as a major surprise to see them remain on the Flames roster through the trade deadline and perhaps be moved in the offseason.
