Could the Ottawa Senators be a landing spot for Rasmus Andersson?

Add the Ottawa Senators to the list of potential suitors for Rasmus Andersson. Normally, it’s Mackenzie Weegar that’s connected to the Senators, but not this time around.

They will be looking for a right-handed defenceman after Nick Jensen underwent an undisclosed surgery after battling an injury through the second half of the season. While the Senators remain tight-lipped about the specific injury, they have shared that there is no timetable for his return.

Is Ottawa a realistic landing spot for Andersson?

Andersson has a six-team no-trade list that is valid until July 1st. He will submit another one, which will be valid through the end of the season.

The Flames are currently looking to build for the long-term future. It isn’t about retooling on the fly anymore. They’re looking for players who can help them build toward a playoff run and a future of consistent and competitive Flames hockey.

The only player that fits General Manager Craig Conroy’s wish of a 23-25-year-old forward is 24-year-old Shane Pinto. Pinto had 21 goals and 37 points over 70 games. He would have been fourth in goals on the Calgary Flames roster.

What about players down the pipeline? Ottawa doesn’t have many promising or eye-catching players other than Carter Yakemchuk in its current prospect pool, with The Athletic ranking them 27th in the league. It would likely be draft picks going back to Calgary.

Why Andersson for the Senators?

The Senators are in the market for a right-handed defenceman, and Jensen’s surgery makes that need much more urgent. They must add another blueliner should they want to repeat their success from last season or take it a step further. The Senators’ defence was exposed a bit during their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Adding some additional protection for goaltender Linus Ullmark may allow the goalie to be more focused and less worried about the team in front of him.

Andersson is coming off a down year but is likely to bounce back. He finished the season with a franchise worst -38 and 11 goals, 31 points. He could be a great addition to the Senators’ power play, as Andersson spent several seasons quarterbacking the Flames’ power play and saw great success there.

Andersson is 28 years old and is a UFA at the end of next season. You aren’t committed to him long term, as it’s a nearly free trial period. Just give up Shane Pinto and a draft pick or two, and you have an 82-game trial of Rasmus Andersson. Trading for him in the summer would give him additional time to settle in rather than jumping in midseason.

Why the Senators could be a fit

Unlike the Buffalo Sabres, the Senators have made progress in their rebuild. They made their first postseason appearance since 2017 and didn’t go down without a fight, and it was not for a lack of trying.

With a shift in the Atlantic Division happening before our very eyes, Ottawa may be an attractive spot for Andersson. The Senators will likely see the postseason again this upcoming season and thereafter. They have made the moves and taken steps forward, allowing them to escape from the dungeons of an early April tee time ( It might be slightly later, but hey… anything can happen in the playoffs).

We do not know what teams are included on Andersson’s six-team no-trade list, but he does have to resubmit one for July 1st. If they are currently on it, do the Flames wait to see what the landscape looks like with a new list?

What does a possible trade look like?

It won’t be one-for-one. The Flames are going to have to send someone else the other way. Could the Senators be interested in another versatile defenceman like Daniil Miromanov? The Flames are working at unclogging the logjam at defence, and moving two blueliners could open things up a lot faster.

I believe it would be something like this: Andersson, Miromanov, or a mid-level prospect like Samuel Honzek shipping off to Ottawa. Ottawa would likely have to send Pinto a first and second-round draft pick.

Ultimately, the Flames are building for the future while the Sens are on the hunt for a deeper playoff run. Their needs are quite opposite, but they may be able to help each other out.