The Detroit Red Wings were one of the teams rumored to be in on Rasmus Andersson. That situation has now changed, of course, with the Calgary Flames trading Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The situation marked the second time this season the Red Wings have seemingly missed out on a high-profile defenseman on the trade block.
But then again, Red Wings fans shouldn’t lose one iota of sleep over this situation. Sure, Andersson would have been an upgrade over, say, Axel Sandin-Pellikka at this point. The 30-year-old right-shot defenseman would have provided secondary offensive support for top blueliner Moritz Seider.
The acquisition cost, however, would have been too much for Steve Yzerman’s britches. The Golden Knights gave up a first-round pick, a conditional second-round selection, and a third-pairing blueliner in Zach Whitecloud.
All right, so trading someone like, for instance, Jacob Bernard-Docker or even Albert Johansson, wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world. But the two draft picks, plus the lack of a guaranteed extension in place, would have made this trade absolutely bonkers.
The Red Wings are not in a position to go all-in on a massive rental. If Andersson had come with an extension under his arm, the deal might have made more sense. As things stand, sending so many futures wouldn’t have fit Yzerman’s vision.
Red Wings fans must keep in mind that Detroit is still a work in progress. While the club is atop the Atlantic Division, the Wings aren’t a legit Stanley Cup contender yet. That’s why making aggressive moves like trading for Quinn Hughes or Rasmus Andersson, without any assurances, just doesn’t compute.
Red Wings have internal options waiting to blossom
The Red Wings may have a need for an upgrade on the blue line. But the club has plenty of internal options waiting to blossom. After all, it’s easy to forget that Sandin-Pellikka is just 20 years old. He could end up taking over the spot that Andersson could have filled, but for years to come.
Other young right-shot blueliners like Anton Johansson and Antti Tuomisto could get a look at some point. And don’t forget that Bernard-Docker is 25. He may be a third-pairing blueliner now, but there’s still time for him to push past his current ceiling.
These options could eventually preclude the need for a veteran blueliner to take up crucial lineup spots. Adding Andersson would have pushed Sandin-Pellikka to the bottom pairing and Bernard-Docker to the press box.
Sure, in the short run, it would have been a good move. But would that situation have delayed Sandin-Pellikka’s development?
Trading for Andersson, ultimately, would have been a short-term move seeking to bolster the club for a playoff run this season. But in the grander scheme of things, the Red Wings would do well to target younger defenseman who could be part of the Wings’ long-term outlook.