The Calgary Flames have finally closed the book on Rasmus Andersson.
Rumours have been swirling since the summer about the pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) Andersson, with the Flames finally finding a trading partner in the Vegas Golden Knights. Heading to Sin City is 29-year-old defender Rasmus Andersson (at 50% contract retention) in exchange for 29-year-old defender Zach Whitecloud, a 2027, 1st round pick, a conditional 2nd round pick, and 22-year-old prospect Abram Weibe. The conditional 2nd round pick turns into a 1st round pick should the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup this year.
Vegas lands a right-handed defender with great offensive upside as the team sits atop the Pacific division, primed for a deep playoff run. In return, Calgary lands more future assets and a serviceable NHL defender in Zach Whitecloud. Whitecloud is a step or two down from Andersson, but the Flames were never looking for a replacement. This trade makes the Flames' present blueline a bit weaker, a positive outcome for fans focused on draft position rather than the win column.
The 1st rounder will likely fall to around 24th-32nd, depending on how well the Golden Knights perform. The 2nd rounder converting to a 1st rounder if Vegas wins the Stanley Cup is not some unrealistic condition, as the team currently ranks eighth in the league and will surely look to add more than Andersson as the league inches closer to the Trade Deadline. Abram Weibe is a defensive prospect playing at the University of North Carolina with fellow Flames prospects Cole Reschny and Cade Littler. Weibe was a seventh round selection of the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, and will remain unsigned until he chooses to leave college hockey.
This deal fits the Flames long game
Viewed in context, the deal makes sense for the Calgary Flames. Without the security of a long-term extension, Andersson's value was always going to be capped as a pending UFA. Unless Vegas manages to sign him long-term, Andersson will be available to all 32 NHL teams in free agency on July 1st. As it stands, this is strictly a rental for Vegas.
Getting two draft picks, another blue line prospect, and a bottom-four defenseman in Zach Whitecloud is a respectable haul. And do not be surprised if the Flames flip Whitecloud to another team come the Trade Deadline. A former Stanley Cup Champion with Vegas, a right-shot defender with playoff experience could realistically net a 2nd-3rd round pick from a contending team concerned about defensive depth and stability for their post-season, only adding to the Flames' draft capital in the coming years.
It seems most of the negative reaction from Flames fans stems from unrealistic expectations on Andersson's value. Let's face it: Rasmus Andersson is not an elite defender in the NHL. While he logged top-pair minutes on the Flames blueline for years and was a strong locker room presence, he is not a Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, or Zach Werenski. On a contender, Andersson likely serves more as a solid second-pair option than a team's star defenseman. Any Flames fan expecting a franchise-altering return on Andersson was only setting themselves up for disappointment.
With this deal, Flames General Manager Craig Conroy has finally crossed Rasmus Andersson's name off his trade checklist this season. But with names like Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman remaining, expect Conroy to remain active with more moves to follow as the market starts heating up ahead of March 6th's Trade Deadline.