The Calgary Flames are off to one of the worst starts in their franchise’s history. Trade winds have been blowing around this team since last season. Despite the distractions, the Flames scored 96 points and missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. But this season the distractions are louder, especially around defenseman Rasmus Andersson, and that really hurt the Flames mentally early on.
NHL Rumors: The Calgary Flames Don’t Need to Rush a Rasmus Andersson Decision
Many thought the Andersson situation would be resolved this offseason, but that wasn’t the case. But GM Craig Conroy wanted to give his player time to assess everything. Not to mention, Andersson was looking for a bounce-back season. However, the Calgary Flames had to resolve this situation as there was too much noise surrounding the player during the off-season.
There was a belief that Andersson would be traded this offseason. But Flames captain Mikael Backlund coming out and telling The Athletic that it was clear the defender was being traded. This is not the way you want to enter training camp.
“Yes, he is being traded. It is clear,” Backlund told Michael Russo of The Athletic. “But the team wants value. He wants a big contract. So he wants to play well. The team needs him to play well. So just go out there and play. I talked to him too and he doesn’t want to be a distraction. So it’s all good. It’s a shame it’s come to this. I don’t think they’re close to an agreement or anything, but you never know. Things could change. We’ll see.”
The Flames captain immediately set the tone with his preview of the season. Why would he say anything about another player’s contract situation? It’s just a bad look and shows how much of a distraction this was, not just for the players, but for everyone involved in the organization. Everyone wanted this situation resolved before the season started. Most thought so.
NHL Rumors: Time is running out for Rasmus Andersson with the Calgary Flames
As the Voice of the Flames on Sportsnet 690 Derek Willis told Sirius XM NHL Network this offseason, he was surprised the deal wasn’t to trade Rasmus Andersson, but he expects him to be in high demand.
“I think he’s going to be very picky about the location he wants, and the Flames, I’m sure, have done a good job of negotiating on their behalf. And the good thing is that he’s being sought. So yeah, I would have expected it to be done personally. But that doesn’t mean it still can’t be done,” Wills said. “It could be one of the most valuable deadline-type scenarios. So we’ll see. You know, Rasmus is a pro, and if he’s here when the season starts, he’ll be just as competitive, but you know, I would expect them to probably still look pretty tough before the puck drops.”
But when training camp started for the Calgary Flames, Andersson answered questions and stifling messages and rumors that he only wanted to go to the Vegas Golden Knights. He once again emphasized that he was committed to the Flames and wanted to have a better season than last year.
But as Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reported on Sirius
“I am convinced that Rasmus Andersson is looking for around $9 million per year, so start the debate on whether or not he could bring in that kind of money in the summer when Rasmus Andersson is a free agent,” Fracnis said. “Look, a rising tide holds all boats. I’m not saying he’ll get it. I’m not saying he should get it. I’m just telling you that when the offseason talks were going on, I believe those were the kind of numbers he was looking at because they don’t want to sign anywhere until next summer, and by then the cap will have gone up even more, so who knows.”
NHL Rumors: Time is running out for Rasmus Andersson with the Calgary Flames
Once again, it was a distraction the team didn’t need at the start of the year. These types of distractions occurred with the New York Rangers. Not to mention the mutiny against the general manager. But General Manager Craig Conroy has done a good job of moving players who didn’t want to be there a few seasons ago and getting assets for them. It started with Tyler Toffoli in the summer of 2023. Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, Elias Lindholm and Jacob Markstrom all followed. The Flames were able to get good assets for those players.
It’s time for a discussion again. Does Rasmus Andersson want to be in Calgary, or doesn’t he want to be there? Whichever side of the coin he fell, there had to be an answer before the start got underway.
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