Rasmus Andersson Trade Could Take a Surprising Turn

Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson continues to dominate headlines in Calgary as speculation grows over his future with the organization. Following the news that young goalie Dustin Wolf signed a seven-year extension, Andersson’s situation remains unresolved, with trade rumors swirling even as training camp approaches.

Latest Trade Speculation Surrounding the Defenseman

There has been talk all summer that Andersson would be on the move. However, some wondered if there was still a chance the Flames and the defenseman could work things out. Talk was that he was being picky about where he was willing to go, noting that there might be one, maybe two places Andersson would sign an extension. As such, things seemed like they were at a standstill.

Then, and seemingly out of nowhere, Flames captain Mikael Backlund dropped a bit of a shocking statement, acknowledging that Andersson’s departure is likely inevitable. “Yeah, he’s getting traded. It’s obvious,” Backlund said at the NHL player media tour in Europe. “But the team wants value. He wants a big contract. So he wants to play well. The team needs him to play well. Just go out and play.”

Backlund also emphasized that Andersson is trying not to let the situation become a distraction: “It’s too bad it’s come to this… we’ll see. Things could change.”

Possible Landing Spots for Andersson

Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report recently outlined five potential landing spots for Andersson, placing the Dallas Stars at the top of his list. Dallas enters the 2025–26 season as a strong contender but faces an imbalance on its blue line. While left-side defensemen Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, and Thomas Harley form one of the league’s strongest units, the right side—currently manned by Ilya Lyubushkin, Nils Lundkvist, and Alexander Petrovic—needs help. Gretz argues that Andersson would be an ideal fit, pairing with any of Dallas’ left-side defenders to create a shutdown duo while addressing the Stars’ depth issue.

However, acquiring Andersson would not come cheap. Dallas faces cap constraints, with only $405,000 in flexibility, and would likely have to move contracts or even consider trading a key player such as Jason Robertson to make room.

With Alex Pietrangelo facing a career-ending injury, the Vegas Golden Knights were the other team rumored to be in the mix, but a recent deal for Mitch Marner and a looming extension for Jack Eichel make adding Andersson tricky.

Andersson Says The “Picky” Trade Rumors Are Fake

Andersson himself has addressed the rumors, denying claims that he would limit the Flames’ options regarding a trade. “The thing that bothers you is fake information that comes out,” Andersson said. “I saw some reports that I would only sign with one team… nothing could be further from the truth. Connie and I have had a few conversations over the summer, and I would never handcuff him and give him one team.”