Top-4 defenseman suddenly available and he's everything the Maple Leafs are looking for
A Calgary Flames top-4 defender has reportedly become available and would be the perfect addition to the Toronto Maple Leafs' blueline.
This offseason, the Maple Leafs made significant changes to their defense by signing veteran blueliners Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. However, both are in the later stages of their careers and likely don't have a lot of productive years left ahead of them.
A potential solution for the Leafs could be Rasmus Andersson in Calgary a former draft pick of current Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving.
According to @flamesaggr on X, Sportsnet's Eric Francis has stated that Andersson actually may be available:
Andersson would immediately strengthen the Leafs' top-four defense and might even instantly become the team's best defender. Unlike the new, aging veterans (Tanev and Ekman-Larsson), Andersson is still in his prime at just 27 years old.
Although Andersson had a down year with the Flames, like many of his teammates, he still recorded 39 points in 78 games and had a -11 plus-minus rating. He offers an offensive edge that only Morgan Rielly currently provides for the Maple Leafs, and he is also solid defensively.
The most appealing aspect of acquiring Andersson might be his relatively low cap hit of $4.55 million per season, making him a highly attractive option for the Leafs. The primary consideration would be the asking price for the Swedish defenseman, which could be a factor preventing the Leafs from pursuing him through trade. The other factor, of course, is Flames ownership, who doesn't seem to be in any sort of a rush to complete a trade with Brad Treliving. There is rumoured to be some bad blood there, given how Treliving exited the organization.
Source: HockeyDBRasmus Andersson Statistics
| POLL | ||
2 SEPTEMBRE | 285 ANSWERS Top-4 defenseman suddenly available and he's everything the Maple Leafs are looking for Would Rasmus Andersson instantly become the Maple Leafs #1 option on defence if Treliving acquires him? | ||
| Yes | 191 | 67 % |
| No | 94 | 33 % |
| List of polls | ||
