Avalanche face major threat as rivals poised to pull off blockbuster deal for star defenseman
Photo credit: Candice Ward / USA TODAY Sports
It appears that Rasmus Andersson's days in Calgary may be numbered, as the Colorado Avalanche divisional rival Dallas Stars are closing in on a blockbuster trade to acquire the star defenseman before the start of next season.
The Flames and their 28-year-old defenseman are reportedly at a significant distance in their contract extension negotiations.
Avalanche rival eyeing blockbuster trade for top defenseman.
Robert Munnich from Flames Nation that Dallas is in urgent need of reinforcements on the right side of their defense. As of June 14th, the only right-shot defenseman on the Stars' NHL roster are Ilya Lyubushkin, Nils Lundkvist, and Alex Petrovic. While Miro Heiskanen also plays on the right, beyond him, the team's depth on that side of the blueline is practically nonexistent.
"Jim Nill needs to add to that group if they want to give themselves the best chance at winning the Stanley Cup. And who better than Rasmus Andersson to fill that void?" -Munnich
Andersson is exactly the kind of player you want on a Stanley Cup contender. As Flames well know, his style and attitude are tailor-made for playoff hockey. His physicality, shot-blocking willingness, strong defensive game, and knack for getting under opponents' skin made him a force to be reckoned with in the most crucial moments of the season.
"Andersson would be a great fit. But do the Stars have the assets to make a trade happen? The answer is yes. The Stars have a lot of assets the Flames would be interested in. They have their second and third round picks in the stacked 2026 NHL draft. They have their first and third round picks in the 2027 NHL Draft. The Flames have shown in the past under Craig Conroy that they like acquiring young NHL players. The Stars have a couple intriguing names." -Munnich
Lian Bichsel is a towering 6'7", 231-pound, 21-year-old left-shot defenseman who emerged as a breakout presence for the Stars late in the regular season and into the playoffs. Comparable in style to Kevin Bahl, Bichsel combines size with surprising mobility.
"The other young NHL player the Flames would be interested in is Mavrik Bourque. The 23 year old winger played in 73 games, scored 11 goals and added 14 assists. He was under-utilized playing on the fourth line. Bourque might be one of those players who could break out if given a bigger role on a new team." -Munnich
Then there's the salary cap. The Stars are working with just $1,955,084 in available cap space, while Andersson carried a $4.55 million cap hit for next season.
The solution? Include defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin's $3.25 million contract in the deal. It clears the path for Andersson financially, but it's not a straight swap, the Flames would need to be incentivized to take on that contract. After all, they'd be doing the Stars a favour by absorbing that cap hit.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 17 | 33 ANSWERS Avalanche face major threat as rivals poised to pull off blockbuster deal for star defenseman Will the Dallas Stars finish ahead of the Avalanche next season? | ||
| yes | 7 | 21.2 % |
| no | 26 | 78.8 % |
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