Elliotte Friedman drops latest on Rasmus Andersson-Calgary Flames buzz amid ongoing trade rumors

Elliotte Friedman discussed Rasmus Andersson and the Calgary Flames this week. Andersson is in the last year of his six-year, $27.3 million contract. On Thursday's 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman said a trade depends on what the Flames get in return.

"I just think it's going to come down to do the Flames get what they want for them," Friedman said. [1:25:16 onwards]

Andersson plays important minutes for the Flames, averaging 23:59 minutes per game after playing 81 games last season. Friedman believes general manager Craig Conroy will eventually find the right deal.

"The Flames obviously keep putting him in good positions where he gets a lot of minutes and he gets opportunity," Friedman said. "Because he's a good player, it benefits them to do that. So I just believe that at some point this year, Craig is going to get what he wants to get - to move him. And I think that's simply what's, what's going to happen."

Friedman also mentioned changes in the CBA that could help Calgary. He explained that Andersson’s contract makes him easier to trade than many defensemen. His cap hit is $4.55 million per season, and that number is manageable for most teams. This could give the Flames more flexibility in trade talks.

"There's the changes this year for the CBA, right about the playoff, the playoff cap, and the double retention and things like that," Friedman said. "You know Rasmus Andersson's contract is not one that's really gonna make life difficult on people.

"He is - a number that's manageable. You don't have to worry. Like, you can do that very comfortably on single retention."

Rasmus Andersson has played his whole career in Calgary since his debut in 2016-17. Last season, he scored 11 goals and 20 assists. His best season was in 2021-22 with 50 points.

Rasmus Andersson's comments on turning down a trade

Rasmus Andersson has a six-team no-trade clause, and this year, he is getting linked to the LA Kings and the Vegas Golden Knights.

Andersson told Expressen in August that he turned down one trade after talks with his family:

"I communicated that decision to Calgary. I said if you want to trade me, this is the number of teams I can think of signing for. But this wasn’t one of them."

Andersson was not ready to move or sign long-term with that team. He feels valued in Calgary, but trade talks around him are still ongoing.

The Flames finished 41-27-14 last season with 94 points. They missed the playoffs for the third straight year, and the fourth time in five seasons.