Trade rumors continue to swirl around Rasmus Andersson as the Calgary Flames sink toward the bottom of the Western Conference, and it sounds like the standout defenseman's next stop may be the Atlantic Division.
RG's James Murphy reported Wednesday the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators are all showing serious interest in Andersson and the Flames are "pushing to get a deal done" before the NHL's roster freeze for the 2026 Winter Olympics in February.
Murphy noted Boston has so far been the most aggressive team in the Andersson discussions with Calgary.
"The Bruins made an offer," an NHL source told Murphy. "I'm hearing that Mason Lohrei and the Bruins' first-round pick are in play."
It's a situation the Buffalo Sabres, led by new general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, will surely watch closely in the weeks ahead.
The Sabres have also been scouring the trade market recently, but they're an unlikely contender for Andersson given their current overabundance of top-four defensemen: Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram, Owen Power, Michael Kesselring and the resurgent Mattias Samuelsson.
That said, there's no doubt Andersson could be a massive acquisition for one of Buffalo's division rivals. He's recorded 29 points (10 goals and 19 assists) in 46 appearances for the Flames this season.
Buffalo Sabres may have to amplify trade efforts to keep pace in the crowded Eastern Conference standings
The Sabres are playing some of their best hockey in years. They've won 13 of their past 15 games, highlighted by a 10-game winning streak, and it's helped them surge back into the playoff race in the East.
Yet, several teams in the conference, including most of the Atlantic Division, is almost equally as hot. Aside from the Sens, who've lost seven of their past 10 contests, the other seven teams in the division are a combined 48-15-7 over their last 10 games.
It's put Buffalo in a position where the club is now closer to last place in the East (six points) than it is to third place in the Atlantic (seven points), though it does have a few games in hand.
As it stands, the Blue and Gold are ninth in the conference with 52 points and tied for seventh with the Philadelphia Flyers based on points percentage (.591).
In short, the Sabres' margin for error will be incredibly thin in the second half of the 2025-26 campaign.
It'll put a lot of pressure on Kekalainen, who replaced Kevyn Adams as the franchise's GM last month, to make sure the roster is prepared to handle the challenges on the horizon.
Buffalo's biggest need at the moment, especially with Kesselring nearing a return from injury, is a top-six scoring forward who can also provide a sizable boost to the power play.
The Sabres were previously linked to New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin, and that feels like a perfect fit on the surface. The two-time NHL All-Star has posted 50 points (16 goals and 34 assists) in 46 games this season, and 14 of those have come on the power play.
It's unclear if Breadman would waive his no-movement clause for Buffalo, though.
Whether it's Panarin or another offensive-minded forward — the Blue and Gold were also rumored to have interest in Andersson's Flames teammate Nazem Kadri — it definitely feels like the Sabres need a significant addition up front to keep pace in the East.
If Kekalainen stands idly by while other teams in the Atlantic make moves, which was common throughout Adams' tenure in Buffalo, he'll risk leaving his team short on talent during what's shaping up to become a wild fight to the finish in the playoff race.
It's worth noting Jarmo's track record from his time running the Columbus Blue Jackets' front office suggests he's not shy about making a blockbuster move if it's available.
That's good news for a diehard Sabres fanbase desperate to witness playoff hockey for the first time since 2011.