In this week’s edition of Calgary Flames News & Rumours, Rasmus Andersson continues to remain in heavy trade speculation. In other news, Zayne Parekh has officially been loaned to Canada’s roster for the upcoming World Juniors. Meanwhile, Jake Bean has been placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed ailment. Last, but not least, Hunter Brzustewicz was called up by the Flames last week.
Andersson Best Defenceman on the Market
There were already plenty of teams reportedly lining up to trade for Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson, and that list will likely only increase going forward. On Friday, the Vancouver Canucks chose to trade Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild, which only helps elevate Andersson’s trade value even further.
Andersson, who shoots right, is averaging north of 24 minutes per game this season. He’s also been very productive offensively, registering 22 points through 33 games. He and the Flames are far apart on an extension, which suggests it’s only a matter of when, not if, he’s traded. Fans should be expecting the Swedish rearguard to bring back a sizable return.
Parekh Loaned to World Junior Roster
After being snubbed in a big way a year ago, Zayne Parekh will finally get his World Juniors opportunity. The Flames chose to loan the 19-year-old to go and play in the tournament, a decision which makes plenty of sense for a plethora of reasons. Despite not having played in some time due to injury, he’s expected to be ready to go for this tournament.
Parekh has had a disappointing rookie season with the Flames, registering just one assist through 11 games. Getting the opportunity to go to this tournament and compete with players his age should give him a ton of confidence, and could result in his performance with the Flames taking a massive leap in the right direction over the second half of the 2025-26 campaign.
Bean Out with Injury
It had been another disappointing season for Flames defenceman Jake Bean, though he may have somewhat of an excuse. Based on several reports, the 27-year-old has been playing through an injury for some time, one that the Flames finally decided he needed to sit and recover.
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Bean was placed on the injured reserve this past Thursday. There haven’t been any updates since, though the fact that a timeline wasn’t given suggests this could wind up being a rather lengthy absence. Prior to the injury, Bean had a goal and an assist through 16 games.
Brzustewicz Gets an Opportunity
With Parekh off to the World Juniors and Bean on the injured reserve, the Flames were in need of a defenceman and chose to recall Hunter Brzustewicz from the American Hockey League. The 21-year-old blueliner had appeared in 23 games with the Calgary Wranglers prior to the recall, scoring four goals and 12 points.
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Brzustewicz, who was able to make his NHL debut last season, has suited up for three games with the Flames since his recent call up. He appeared in nearly 16 minutes in his season debut against the Detroit Red Wings last week, but had his minutes cut over the weekend, logging just 11:57 in an overtime win over the LA Kings. Minutes may be tough to come by in the early going, but Flames fans should feel very excited about the future of Brzustewicz.
Looking Ahead for the Flames
The Flames have two more games on their schedule this week, the first of which will come on Thursday night against the Seattle Kraken. They will then prepare for an outing on Saturday night matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. They’ll be looking to improve upon their current 13-17-4 record, which is 31th in the league.
