Star Defenseman Confirms He's on the Trading Block and He's a Fit for the Maple Leafs
Photo credit: Sergei Belski | Imagn images
A star defenceman with the Calgary Flames has confirmed that he has been asked to waive his trade clause and the fit for the Maple Leafs is undeniable.
For the first time in years, the Maple Leafs have a blueline that doesn't require any major upgrades before the season.
Although it is always nice to have an extra top-four defenceman laying around, they are often hard to come by or aren't typically acquired until the trade deadline, but cost an arm and a leg, as we saw when the Leafs made a splash at the deadline for Brandon Carlo.
An additional blueliner isn't a need for the Leafs, but as he always does, GM Brad Treliving continues to poke around the league to see who is available. Now, one Flames defenseman is confirmed to be available, and he's a former Treliving draft pick.
Treliving had previously pursued Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov before both were traded elsewhere, due to the Flames not wanting to make a deal with Treliving.
Ultimately Treliving landed Tanev following a short time in Dallas, and now he could very well end up with Rasmus Andersson at some point now that the defenceman has confirmed the Flames want to move him.
Flames Defenceman Rasmus Andersson Confirms He Has Been Asked to Waive His NTC
In speaking with Swedish media outlet Expressen, Andersson confirmed that while the Flames have asked him to waive his no trade clause, he has yet to provide them with any teams he would be willing to go to.
"I have not given Calgary a team. I haven't actually spoken to Calgary since they made the request, which was a month and a half ago."
The 28-year-old Swedish native is entering the final year of his current deal that carries a $4.55M cap hit and could be a very good fit on the Maple Leafs' blueline, adding a bit more youth to the aging top-six as well as a lot more offense and puck-moving ability.
What it would take to acquire him is likely a lot, but given the familiarity between Treliving and Andersson the Leafs may have the inside track if they end up on the former second-round pick's short list of potential trade destinations.
If the Leafs do hope to make a move for Andersson, they'll first need to find a new home for Oliver Ekman-Larsson or Morgan Rielly to create some cap space, unless the latter is amenable to waiving his NMC to go to Calgary, which could entice the Flames.
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