Last season, there was plenty of interest surrounding Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson and if he would be made available at the trade deadline. While nothing amounted to anything then, the 28-year-old, right shot defender appears to be in the news and is once again drawing a lot of attention.
There’s been a growing sense that the Flames are willing to move Andersson if they get the right return, as he’s ready for a new start. Naturally, there are going to be a number of teams calling general manager Craig Conroy and Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving should be one of those names in line to get another strong defender for his team.
Andersson Fits Maple Leafs Needs
When you look at Andersson’s play style and what the Maple Leafs want to continue to build towards, it definitely seems like a great fit for both sides. The Maple Leafs lack a strong right shot defender that can get pucks on net and can play with the edge and intensity against the rush and within his own end.
After a down year where he had 31 points, Andersson’s production has been relatively steady over the last few seasons, as he’s been a consistent 40-50-point defender. He has reached double-digits in goals twice since 2021-22 and if you’re the Maple Leafs you would want that ability to get goals from the blueline. They were one of the worst teams to get production from the blueline last season, but that changed in the postseason, as they showed the willingness to jump up into the play. (from, ‘The Maple Leafs’ defence isn’t scoring goals or points — what’s going on?’, The AthleticNHL – 2/6/25).
Last season, Andersson played 32.7% of his minutes against elite level competition and he had a decent Corsi for percentage of 50.5% and a strong goals for percentage of 53.6%. Not only that, with his defensive mindset, he can get into and take away shooting lanes easily as he had 196 blocks last season. He had 11 goals on 163 shots on goal, which is a better result than compared to Morgan Rielly as he had seven on 126. Andersson would’ve led the team in that department if he were with the Maple Leafs.
Related: Maple Leafs Linked to Several Big Moves in Coming Days
Overall, there should be interest from the Maple Leafs as there’s already some familiarity with Andersson as Treliving drafted him back in 2015. Treliving knows what he’s getting with him and Andersson would definitely be a great addition as a right shot, two-way defender in head coach Craig Berube’s system.
Cost Could be a Problem
With the salary cap increasing for the foreseeable future, it doesn’t seem like the Maple Leafs would have a problem with giving Andersson an extension as he could be asking for a big pay day. It’s more the price that could be a problem in acquiring him.
He has one more season remaining at $4.55 million, so he has term on his contract, which could increase the price to make a trade. He also has a six-team no trade list, which could be great for the Maple Leafs if they’re not on that list. The problem for the Maple Leafs is that if the Flames want draft capital in return, they lack that as they’ve spent it to acquire players like Jake McCabe, Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo. They don’t have a first-round pick for the next two drafts after 2025 and only have one second-round pick.
In terms of prospects, they would have to give up one of Easton Cowan or Ben Danford. It doesn’t feel like Treliving will part with Cowan, as he has a good chance to take a roster spot after strong back-to-back seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, winning playoff MVP and adding a Memorial Cup and MVP award. It seems like Danford could be involved, but the Maple Leafs would need to add more in order to make a deal work and beat out other suitors.
There’s the possibility of trading Rielly and his $7.5 million AAV if he is asked to waive his no-move clause. Could he be involved to create the space to sign Andersson, but also move on from a player that has had inconsistent production in the regular season? He would be closer to home as he’s a native of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Related: 4 Dark Horses to Sign Maple Leafs Forward Mitch Marner
The Maple Leafs have plenty of depth on the left side and need a right shot defender. They also rely heavily on McCabe and Chris Tanev and if Oliver Ekman-Larsson can elevate his production like he did in the postseason, it could work out.
Andersson definitely fits the bill of the direction the Maple Leafs want to head in. He’s competitive, plays a strong defensive game and has underrated offensive abilities. However, the cost in a trade could be problematic as they would also need to create space. There’s bound to be a long list of teams to add him to their roster. The fit and history is there if he wants to join the Maple Leafs.
Statistics from Puck IQ and NHL.
