Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Reportedly Circling Around a Star Blueliner in Calgary

With the lead-up to the NHL draft always being filled with trade rumours aplenty, Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson has once again found himself a very popular target with several teams continuing to inquire about his services.

The Swedish blueliner has been on the chopping block for a few years now that the Flames have entered a rebuild. With just one year left on his contract and Calgary still employing a rebuilding approach, Andersson could be on the move.

One destination could be the Toronto Maple Leafs and, as reported by Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos, they are expected to rekindle their fire on the 28-year-old after having kicked tires at the trade deadline.

Andersson had a bit of a down year in 2024-25 with 31 points and a minus-38 rating in 81 games to go along with 60 PIMs. However, he tied a career-high with 11 goals, averaged 23:59 TOI, and added a career-best 196 blocked shots.

Running the Flames' top power play unit, Andersson has a hard shot and a real nose for the net. It also helps that he plays on the right side, which is always seen as a massive benefit, and he carries a physical edge to his game that would fit in well with Leafs coach Craig Berube's system.

The Flames enter the off-season with over $25 million in cap space, but understand that Andersson's value will never be as high as it is right now. With a modest cap hit of $4.55 million, most teams would be able to afford his contract outright, but the return could be even better if they decided to retain 50% of it.

Playing in all situations, the 9-year veteran has averaged just 2 seconds shy of 24 minutes per game over the last 3 seasons, and would undoubtedly bolster a back-end that's in need of a new voice and leader.

These are all things that the Maple Leafs should concern themselves with as they head into the draft with a lot of questions regarding the make-up of their team.