This past season for the Calgary Flames was all about selling veterans and giving the future an opportunity, and with the team dealing Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri and Mackenzie Weegar, the front office did their job perfectly.
The fears from the fanbase coming into this year was that the team would try and extend players like Andersson, just like they tried with Elias Lindholm before he turned them down, eventually being traded to Vancouver for a haul that included Matvei Gridin and Hunter Brzustewicz. Thankfully, Craig Conroy dealt him before that could happen, and in the trade to Vegas, the team netted Zach Whitecloud, Abram Wiebe along with a 2027 first-round pick (traded for Simon Nemec) and a second-round pick in 2028.
Now, despite the speculation he could enter free agency, Andersson has inked a long-term deal with the Golden Knights, joining Noah Hanifin as a former Flame to do so, signing a seven-year deal that carries an $8.5 million cap hit.
Rasmus Andersson, signed 7x$8.5M, is a minute munching offensive defenceman who carries the puck and contributes well in the o-zone but is increasingly having problems when play turns, with reckless pinches and sloppy rush defence. pic.twitter.com/eJkJntUuqb
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 1, 2026
Andersson's early performance in Vegas was certainly not great, as he had just 17 points in 33 games with the team before posting 6 assists in 22 playoff games, but he played a crucial role in the team making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.
While Andersson was a great fit for the Flames over a great career, he's now moved on to his newest squad, and given how comfortable he looked on the ice, a long-term extension was always the likely move, and now, the Flames will have to contend with him in the Pacific Division for a long, long time to come.
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