Report: Flames’ Backlund says ‘it’s obvious’ teammate Andersson will be traded
Trade rumors have been swirling all summer long around Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, to the point that even his captain has taken notice.
In a chat with The Athletic writer Michael Russo at the NHL’s European media tour, third-year Flames captain Mikael Backlund didn’t mince words while sharing his perspective on the situation surrounding his fellow Swede and longtime teammate, who is entering the final year of his contract.
“Yeah, he’s getting traded. It’s obvious,” Backlund said. “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 and play.
“I talked to him, too, and he doesn’t want to be a distraction. So it’s all good. It’s too bad it’s come to this. I don’t think that they’re close to getting an agreement or anything, but you never know. Things could change. We’ll see.”
Andersson, 28, started the 2024-25 season playing some of the best hockey of his career but tapered off down the stretch as he battled through various injuries, ultimately finishing with a brutal minus-38 rating. The 6’1″ righty collected 11 goals and 31 points in 81 games with the Flames while averaging just under 24 minutes per night.
With one year left on his current contract, valued at $4.55 million annually, Andersson is widely expected to be one of the top unrestricted free agents available in the 2026 offseason if he reaches the open market. Even though he only has a six-team no-trade clause, Andersson has reportedly expressed an unwillingness to sign a contract extension with certain interested clubs, severely limiting the market for his services — and the Flames’ leverage with it.
A second-round pick (No. 53 overall) of the Flames in the 2015 NHL Draft, Andersson made his NHL debut with Calgary in the 2016-17 season and emerged as a regular two years later, easing his way up the lineup over his first few seasons before breaking out with 50 points in 2021-22. He’s consistently been one of the Flames’ top performers ever since, but the two sides remain far away from coming to an agreement on a deal that would keep him in Calgary beyond the 2025-26 campaign.
With top defense prospects Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Henry Mews all playing the right side, as well as another righty in MacKenzie Weegar signed through 2031, the Flames — unlike most teams — are flush with right-handed rearguards for the foreseeable future. They’re in a perfect position to capitalize on a prime asset in Andersson, his contract demands notwithstanding. Even if they can’t work out a deal with one of Andersson’s preferred teams, the Flames would almost certainly be able to auction him off as a rental leading up to the 2025 trade deadline.
The Flames finished the 2024-25 season with a 41-27-14 record and 96 points, missing out on the final playoff spot in the Western Conference on a tiebreaker with the St. Louis Blues. Andersson has collected 47 goals and 231 points in 536 games over parts of nine seasons in Calgary, adding seven goals and 14 points in 27 playoff contests.