Flames Top 25 Under 25: #7- Rasmus Andersson

#7: Rasmus Andersson

Position: D

Age: 21

Team: Stockton Heat (AHL)

Drafted: 2015, 2nd Round, Pick 53

Last Year: #10

Voting Points: 2461

Rasmus Andersson is the 3rd defenceman to crack the Top 10, climbing 3 spots from last year. The Swedish prospect eclipsed the 50 game (56) plateau for the second time with the Heat last season and piled up 39 points. Andersson is less of a goal scorer and more of a facilitator as 49 of his 61 points at the AHL level have come as assists.

Andersson finds himself in an intriguing spot this season. He saw limited NHL time in 2017-18, skating only 10 times with the big club. Calgary is VERY congested at the blue line with Brett Kulak’s emergence and the trade that brought Noah Hanifin to Calgary. The Flames didn’t move T.J. Brodie in the offseason and there’s still Michael Stone to deal with as well.

On paper the Flames appear set on defence with Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Hanifin (contract pending), Travis Hamonic, Brett Kulak and Michael Stone. Where does that leave Andersson? He will most likely spend another season in Stockton crafting his game and fighting to get ahead of players like Kulak, Oliver Kylington and Juuso Valimaki.

Whether Andersson will get a full time shot with the Flames is something up in the air right now. He’s shown he has talent, but the Flames are so jammed at defence (moving Stone would really help his chances) he may just end up being trade bait (thought that would happen this offseason) if the Flames are making a push towards the playoffs. Whether he stays or goes, the Flames are in a good spot with talented players like Andersson in their stable.

(Stats Provided By Hockey DB)

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by Mark Parkinson