One of the hottest names this season is Calgary Flames' impending UFA Rasmus Andersson. Just about every team in the league has been linked to Andersson at one point or another. However, a report by RG Media from Jan. 14 lists three Atlantic Division teams as the frontrunners to land Andersson.
Veteran journalist James Murphy wrote the following, as revealed to him by an anonymous source: “Keep an eye on the Senators, Bruins, and Red Wings.”
The Senators make sense as a team to make a hard push for Andersson. The turmoil they have faced recently requires the team to do something to turn things around. The Bruins, for their part, are in a dogfight with the rest of the Eastern Conference for the two wild card spots.
That leaves the Red Wings. The Wings, one of the losers in the Quinn Hughes trade saga, could use another veteran presence on the blue line. Hughes would have been that piece. But since Hughes ended up in “Quinnesota,” the next best thing could be Andersson.
The Bruins upped the ante in the push for Andersson. According to Murphy’s sources, the Bruins have offered defenseman Mason Lohrei and a first-round draft pick.
That situation leads one to wonder what the Red Wings could offer Calgary for Andersson. Presumably, the Flames would like to get another blueliner back for Andersson. However, the source revealed that Simon Edvinson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka are “off-limits.”
That opens up the discussion to two key points. First, the Red Wings are so bullish on Edvinsson and Sandin-Pellikka that they’re unwilling to relinquish them, even for the hottest name on the trade market this season.
Second, the return going to Calgary would likely include another defensive prospect. It’s tough to pinpoint who that could be. Perhaps Albert Johansson may pique Calgary’s interest. Otherwise, the Flames may have to settle for a lower-tier prospect from the Red Wings’ system.
As for the first-round pick, the Red Wings won their pick. The Flames, however, may not be impressed with it. Tankathon shows the Red Wings picking 25th at this point. As such, the Flames may not necessarily hold onto it. Perhaps they could flip it as part of another deal down the line.
Timeline for Rasmus Andersson deal could approach fast
The timeline for a deal involving Rasmus Andersson could approach much faster than anticipated. Insider Elliotte Friedman shed some light on the matter on Monday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast , stating: “It sounds like there’s a desire for them to do it before the Olympics, and teams know that. Now, there’s been stops and starts with this before, so I’m always careful, but there are times it seems more active than other times, and one of those times is now.”
It makes sense that the Flames would like to get a deal done before the Olympics. The roster freeze enters into effect on Feb. 4, potentially derailing any momentum on a deal.
By pushing aggressively at this point, the Flames could corner interested suitors in paying up to beat the market.
In all fairness, the Red Wings don’t look like the team that will succumb to hype and pressure. If there’s a deal to be made, it won’t be at the expense of the club’s future. That’s why, as Murphy’s source noted, the dealbreaker for the Red Wings will be having an extension in place for Andersson.
If an extension cannot be secured, the Red Wings will more than likely push back from the table and take their chips elsewhere.