The Florida Panthers may be one of the potential suitors for Rasmus Andersson. Their top defenceman, Dmitry Kulikov, is out for the next five to six months after undergoing shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. Andersson is a pending unrestricted free agent whom the Calgary Flames are likely going to move on from. Realistically, the 29-year-old defenceman doesn’t fit into the Flames’ long-term picture. A rebuild means just that. Could the Flames cash in with a trade to the Florida Panthers?
Why it makes sense
The Florida Panthers are a contender. They’ve been hit with some significant injuries early on that will likely force their hand by the trade deadline. I would imagine they are exploring their options for another top-four defenceman. Andersson fits that bill. He plays close to 20 minutes a night and plays on special teams. This may be one of the ideal fits for Andersson.
We’ve all heard the rumours of Andersson only wanting to go to the Vegas Golden Knights, ala Noah Hanifin. Could the attractiveness of no income tax in Florida also appeal to him? I would imagine reuniting with a few of his former teammates, like Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett, would be enticing, too.
It feels like a win-win. Andersson is going to a team that is built to win, and the Panthers would be bolstering their lineup in a much-needed way. He’d be reuniting with friends and moving his family to the polar opposite climate of Calgary. Going to Florida is also one of his better shots at winning.
What should the Flames want?
The Flames don’t need to add another roster player right now. Even if they moved Andersson and one of the forwards, there’d still be no need for it. The main focus should be on building through the draft. The Flames should want to collect draft picks like Infinity Stones. Based on the Flames’ current performance, they will likely be picking high in the draft. They have two first-round picks this year, their own and Vegas’, courtesy of the Noah Hanifin trade.
The last two drafts have gone rather well for the Flames. It’s on the players and their development to make the most of them. The Flames may want to prioritize the 2026 draft. It is predicted to be similar to 2024 in terms of the depth of quality players.m
The Florida Panthers are without their first-round pick for the next two years. I think the Flames would be fine if they had to sit on their hands and wait until the 2027–28 draft for that additional pick.
A realistic package may be this year’s second round as well as their 2027–28 first-round pick.
The worst-case scenario isn’t that he walks in July. It’s that the Flames hold out too long and are forced to take whatever the return is. Craig Conroy has had a lot of time to make and take calls. For one reason or another, they are not coming to fruition. This could be another situation where you get saddled with dead weight and a pick outside of the first round.
Keep adding to the pile
The Flames absolutely have to be meticulous about every move they make moving forward. There aren’t step-by-step instructions when it comes to rebuilding. Right now, the Flames have to keep plugging away at the season. There is no sense in trying to rationalize with ownership. Just hope you pick in the top three and go from there. The phones should be ringing, and Craig Conroy should be taking every call.
Extending Andersson is not an option.
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