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What is Rasmus Andersson's Value? Mock Trade with the Devils – Game Day |
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The 5-2-1 Calgary Flames are back at it tonight against the 6-2-1 Vegas Golden Knights. While you may suspect a tight defensive performance from a perennial lockdown team such as Vegas, don't count those chickens just yet.
First, the goals are coming in piles for the Golden Knights. Vegas is currently posting the sharpest offence in the league at 4.67 goals per game. Mark Stone leads the Art Ross race with 17 points (4G, 13A) in nine games. 2015 second overall pick Jack Eichel is in a four-way tie for third with fifteen points (3G, 12A) in as many games. Their powerplay is humming along at 36%; good for 4th place league-wide.
We’re at a point in the season where you could say “OK. They started hot. Are they still hot or are those stats primarily from two weeks ago?”
The Golden Knights have started hot and gotten hotter. They average 6.33 goals in three games over the last week. Their defence is sharp, with 2.67 goals against (10th) over that time. Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo each have eight points in those three games, and Tomas Hertl has seven. Eight Vegas players are scoring at a point-per-game or better over that span.
To put it short, the Flames are playing the hottest team in the league tonight. To add more doubt, Calgary has dropped their last two and given up at least one point in their last four. Daniel Vladar, who many openly speculated was injured last Thursday during a 4-2 loss to Carolina when he couldn’t skate himself to the bench for an extra attacker, gets the start.
Professional hockey is chaos, but things do not look ideal for the Flames tonight. Let’s pivot.
MVP
October of the 2024-2025 campaign has seen Rasmus Andersson playing the best hockey of his eight-season NHL career.
12-3 goal differentials over 136:46 of ice time at 5v5, most of that against top-six competition. A 42-goal pace after eight games. One minor penalty taken. He’s currently tied with Niel Pionk for third in scoring among NHL defencemen, with four goals and six assists for ten points.
He may not be catching Cale Makar’s 145-point pace, but among those who are mortal in the NHL, Andersson is playing like a top-five defenceman. He may even warrant a few second or third-place Norris votes if he keeps it up.
Hate to be that guy, but think of the return.
Andersson’s $4,550,000 cap hit could be diminished to 250K at the deadline, especially with a third party retaining another 25%. The additional season would roughly carry a cap hit of around $1,150,000 if double retained.
For a legitimate, number one defenceman.
You have to wonder which GM would back up the Brinks Truck chasing that notion. There is no precedent to set the value of a deal like that. General managers of opposing contenders would be pounding the table next time they’re all in Florida.
You don’t see deals like that for a reason, but let’s indulge.
One issue with this fantasy is that there aren’t enough contenders with the assets to make this idea realistic. New Jersey is one team with solid odds if bidding ever started on the 28-year-old defender.
A(nother) Deal With the Devil
Craig Conroy has made two significant trades with Jersey General Manager Tom Fitzgerald during his time as GM of the Flames. That being Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third round pick in exchange for team-leading scorer Tyler Toffoli, as well as goaltender Jacob Markstrom being exchanged for a top-ten protected first round pick in 2025 and six-foot-six defenceman Kevin Bahl.
There is clearly some groundwork already in place regarding organizational values being set, and with the Devils’ penchant for injuries, there may be a need by the deadline for a top-for defenceman.
To New Jersey
D Rasmus Andersson @50%
To Calgary
C Dawson Mercer
2025 second round pick (UTAH)
Mercer fills a need for the Flames. Feel free to check out last Thursday’s piece on that, but essentially: Mercer is 23, a right shot, and a center. Craig Conroy has identified all three as targets in a recent interview with Sportsnet’s Eric Francis.
He is producing this season, but could do more. Two goals and three assists in 12 games. Underwhelming for his placement as first line right wing; even worse when you factor in two assists coming against the Ducks.
Mercer has shown in the past that he can produce. 56 points as a 21-year-old in 2022-2023 was a career high. 37 of those points were at 5v5. The 18th overall selection in 2019 is signed for two more seasons after this one at $4,000,000 per.
Feel free to weigh in the comments. Is that deal too much? Too little? Does it make sense for you?
Statistics courtesy of naturalstattrick.com, puckpedia.com, and nhl.com.
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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