The Buffalo Sabres defense group has vastly improved during an 18-month overhaul highlighted by the arrivals of Bowen Byram, Michael Kesselring and Conor Timmins. Will the Calgary Flames' Rasmus Andersson be the next target for Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams?
Flames captain Mikael Backlund told Michael Russo of The Athletic on Wednesday that it's clear Calgary and the standout defenseman will go their separate ways, even if a trade isn't imminent.
"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."
The Sabres' Opening Night roster is pretty much set before training camp even gets underway, but it's fair to wonder whether Andersson could enter the conversation for Buffalo ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline if it's still in the playoff race at that time.
Analyzing Andersson's NHL track record
Andersson has spent his entire career in the Flames organization since being selected in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. The blueliner became a full-time member of the team's roster in 2018-19, and he's retained a key role for the past seven years.
The 28-year-old Sweden native has recorded 231 points (47 goals and 184 assists) across 536 appearances for Calgary. He's added seven goals and seven helpers in 27 playoff games.
His underlying metrics are solid, albeit unspectacular. He's posted a 50.2 expected goals for percentage (xGF%) at 5-on-5 over the past three seasons combined, per Natural Stat Trick.
Andersson's future is less tied to concerns about his production and more related to his contract, though. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 campaign and, based on Backlund's comments, it doesn't sound like the sides are close to an extension.
As a result, he'll likely end up on the trade block ahead of the deadline if there's still no progress toward a new deal because the Flames won't want to lose him for nothing at season's end.
How would Andersson fit with Sabres?
There's really only one avenue where a Buffalo-Calgary swap makes sense: Andersson joining the Sabres and Byram heading to the Flames.
Byram signed a two-year extension with the Sabres, but his future remains uncertain because of the team's roster construction. The presence of Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power leaves the former Colorado Avalanche standout with few power-play opportunities, which lessens his impact.
In addition, Byram is a left-side defenseman, the same as Dahlin and Power. It creates an imbalance atop Buffalo's defense pairs, and head coach Lindy Ruff has long preferred a tandems with one left shot and one right shot.
Andersson is a right-shot defender who could slide in nicely next to Dahlin on the top pair until 2025 first-round pick Radim Mrtka proves ready for the role. A top-four quartet of Dahlin-Andersson and Power-Kesselring would have a lot of upside.
The Sabres would probably want more added to the trade given Byram's additional season of contractual control, and they may also want to have extension talks with Andersson before making a deal, but the two defensemen are a solid foundation for a blockbuster deal.
It's something to keep in mind, especially if both Buffalo and Calgary get off to sluggish starts and begin looking for ways to shake things up.