Why Dallas still makes sense for Rasmus Andersson

This is where Andersson comes in. The Stars are in need of a premium right-shot defenceman to slot into their top four. Andersson would instantly become the team’s best defenceman on the right side and would allow for someone like Heiskanen to play on his natural left side. An addition like Andersson would be huge for Dallas, as he would address a serious weakness of a team that needs to get over the hump.

What would the Stars have to give up?

Dallas seems like a destination where Andersson would extend in. Texas has no state income tax, and the team is one of the biggest contenders in the West. Assuming Andersson would be okay with joining the Stars, what would the Flames want in return? For the sake of this scenario, we’re also going to assume that Andersson signs a contract extension in Dallas.

Lian Bichsel

In any Andersson trade with the Stars, Lian Bichsel would be a player the Flames would look at. The 21-year-old defenceman was a former first-round pick by the Stars in 2022 and recorded nine points in 38 NHL games this season.

Bichsel would be a fantastic addition to the Flames’ young core. He’s a left-handed defenceman and the Flames don’t have many of those in their system. Bichsel would also be given the chance to earn a larger role in Calgary. The question is whether or not the Stars would be willing to part with him in exchange for a signed Andersson, but it’s a player who would heavily interest the Flames.

Mavrik Bourque

Mavrik Bourque would be another intriguing piece the Flames could target in an Andersson trade. He’s a right-shot centre who’s only 23 years old and was a former first-round pick back in 2020. He had 11 goals and 25 points in 73 games with the Stars this season.

While the Stars did extend Borque, it was only for one season where he’s earning less than $1 million. Borque would also likely get the chance for a bigger role in Calgary, but the Flames have a bunch of middle-six forwards. I think if the Flames wanted Bourque, they’d have to move out a forward to make room for him. For me it makes more sense to target Bichsel, but maybe the Stars would be willing to part with Bourque instead.

Draft picks

The Flames would most definitely want draft picks back in any Andersson trade. For the Stars, their future cupboards are thin. They don’t have a first in 2026, meaning the Flames have to target Dallas’ 2027 first. The Stars do have a second in 2026, so it’s likely the Flames would also target that.

With Dallas being a contender, draft picks are less valuable to them right now. If they got the chance to acquire a premium player who would be here for the long run, they should heavily consider it. As for the Flames, they’d continue to stockpile assets for the future.

Potential cap dumps

An issue with the Stars right now is that they have no cap space. They currently stand over the cap as of the time of this article. For Dallas to do anything, they need to find ways to move out some money. Although Andersson carries a very favourable cap hit of $4.5 million, and potentially less if the Flames retain salary.

The two candidates who stand out are Lyubushkin and Matt Dumba. Lyubushkin has two years left with a $3.25 million cap hit. Dumba has one year left carrying a $3.75 million cap hit. At this point, it makes more sense to move on from Dumba as he only has a year left on his deal. The Flames could take Dumba on as a cap dump, but it would likely require more assets from Dallas’ side.

Is Dallas a realistic trade destination for Andersson?

After going through all of this, is it realistic to involve the Stars in the Andersson sweepstakes?

Well, it all depends on Andersson. Would he want to play in Dallas? Would he be willing to sign an extension as part of the trade? If so, the Flames need to ensure they get good value back. If Dallas isn’t willing to part with certain assets the Flames need, then they have no issue playing the waiting game.

With that being said, the Andersson situation needs to end. It’s a huge distraction right now, and the noise will get even louder if he stays in Calgary when the season begins. The team and player need to go their separate ways, and the longer this goes on, the messier it’ll get for both parties.