The Rasmus Andersson sweepstakes have concluded. The deal?

Andersson to Vegas

Zach Whitecloud
2027 1st
2027 2nd (potential upgrade to 1st if Vegas wins the Cup, not happening)
D Abram Weibe

That’s a 1st, a 2nd, and Whitecloud who will be flipped for another pick in the future. So think of it as three picks for Andersson.

Fans were noticeably perturbed.

The deal with Vegas, a divisional rival, did not come at any sort of premium. It was simply the best deal on the table. Andersson for his part let the team know late in the process that he would not be signing any extension with any team, severely limiting the Flames’ prospects for…well…getting prospects in return.

The rumour mill was churning and Boston was the front runner with the best deal on the table. But without an extension, no dice. Vegas gets Andersson who will test free agency come July.

This is yet another example of how the Calgary Flames hold onto assets longer than they should because of vain aspirations to barely make the playoffs over years past. This comes from the very top. Management is supposed to make hard choices earlier in the process rather than letting players walk for free (Gaudreau) or for limited return (Andersson). It means the likes of Coleman need to be jettisoned earlier rather than later, regardless of where the Flames are at in the ‘playoff race’.

I for one am not someone who thinks tearing the entire franchise to the studs is the way to go. You can’t build a winning culture by blowing the whole thing up. At some point you need qualified vets to help the next gen figure out the game. But the posture of trying to barely make the playoffs and maybe go on a storybook run only happens in storybooks (or in 2004). This spells the need for a fundamental shift in the organizational DNA. It’s possible Conroy represents this shift given the contract he was given with Andersson was signed by Treliving. But Conroy also had the change to sell during last year’s draft….

The Flames will continue their fall away from the Wild Card spot they apparently covet, which bodes well for the ‘rebuild’. Now, if only the Vancouver Canucks could win a few games and increase the likelihood the Flames draft 1st. But who are we kidding….