Flames Plug-and-Play Defenseman Perfect For Canadiens

Carrier stabilized his defence pair and allowed each player to slot down one, which was tremendous for Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson's confidence. David Savard's decline gave the Canadiens' faithful all they could handle, and it is far too obvious that the club has a glaring hole.

In the best interest of leaving a spot on the third pair for one of Mailloux or Reinbacher, and having a tried and true veteran to balance the top-four, adding a big-time player makes all the sense in the world.

Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames is an October 1996 birthday, so he will turn 29 just as the 2025-2026 campaign kicks off. His current contract expires on July 1, 2026, and he is likely to demand a significant pay raise, which he is entitled to.

This guy is exactly the type of player that Kent should be looking at, because of his age and experience. The fact that he is talented and top-pair caliber precedes that, but he could be a great partner for Hutson, which would open up Carrier to play with Kaiden Guhle. Depth has stood the test of time, and the successful teams have plenty of it.

Hughes and Jeff Gorton are building a contender that will challenge the Florida Panthers in due time, but in the meantime, each decision will slot another piece in place. Andersson is an awfully nice piece, and in the right environment (alongside Hutson), he could very well score upwards of 15-plus goals and 40-50 assists.

With the salary cap rising and an embarrassment of trade assets in his pocket, Calgary might just consider picking up the phone to talk to Kent about a potential deal. His first question should be, "What do you want for Rasmus?"

With one more year at a reasonable cap hit of $4.55 million, if Kent can convince him to sign a deal, this is a trade worth giving up a big package to facilitate. Montreal's blueline would be set, and the bottom pair could be used to integrate Reinbacher and/or Mailloux into the lineup.