Andersson’s future the biggest question facing Flames in 2025

As the calendar flips to 2025, the Calgary Flames are firmly in the playoff conversation and playing much better than many anticipated before this season.

The team has a defined identity, tight-knit culture and plays hard. There are also several highly touted prospects who may be key contributors in the seasons to come.

While the Flames hope to continue proving people wrong in the new year, there's an important conversation to be had about the future of one of their best players.

The biggest question facing the Flames in 2025 will be if they can convince No. 1 blueliner Rasmus Andersson to commit his long-term future to the organization.

The 28-year-old defenceman can become an unrestricted free agent in July of 2026. General manager Craig Conroy’s top priority has to be to get Andersson’s signature on an extension when he is eligible to sign on July 1.

Andersson will be on Sweden’s 4 Nations Face-Off squad and has slowly blossomed into a bona fide top defenceman after the Flames drafted him in the second round in 2015.

Andersson made his debut two years later and has steadily risen through the organization – from AHLer to sheltered bottom-pairing defenceman to franchise pillar.

This season, he’s elevated his play on a pairing alongside Kevin Bahl. Andersson is currently third in the league with 97 blocked shots. He’s 13th among all NHL defencemen in ice time per game (24:32) and leads all NHLers with more than 32 shifts per game.

The sarcastic, well-spoken Andersson has also made an impact beyond the Saddledome ice. Over the past two seasons, he’s become an important voice in the Flames locker room and is currently an alternate captain. He’s often the first Flame to talk to media after a tough loss and stands up for young players.

Andersson is involved with Special Olympics Calgary, and has represented the organization with dignity and class during the toughest of circumstances.

When Johnny Gaudreau’s parents visited Calgary in December for the first time since the former Flames star and his brother died in August, Andersson and captain Mikael Backlund took Gaudreau’s father Guy onto the Saddledome ice after Johnny was named the game’s first star.

Andersson, clearly emotionally spent, spoke to reporters afterwards about his longtime friend and how tough those few days had been.

Conroy needs to sell Andersson on his vision of the future for the Flames franchise and what they hope to build – both in the Saddledome and the club’s new arena, which is expected to open for the 2027-28 campaign.

Conroy has been on the job since May, 2023 and has done an impressive job in building out Calgary’s prospect base, investing in analytics and scouting, and quieting the noise around player departures.

He’s also vowed that the club will not tank or enter a full rebuild. This season, the Flames are playing better than many expected and, nearing the season’s halfway mark, are firmly in the playoff chase. Calgary’s veterans, including Andersson, have bought in to head coach Ryan Huska’s vision.

Signing Andersson to a long-term extension would be a massive coup for the franchise.

He was drafted and developed by the organization, is seen as a legitimate top-pairing blueliner around the league, and would have plenty of suitors if he made it to the open market.

It would add that much more credibility to Conroy’s plan to have Andersson in the fold beyond next season. He’s also viewed by many as the future captain of the team once Backlund retires. Andersson would be a key piece as Calgary hopes to move from retooling to Stanley Cup contender.

The Flames have plenty to offer Andersson. They can sign him to an eight-year extension, whereas if he hits the open market he could only sign for a maximum of seven seasons.

The franchise has several quality prospects coming, including Ontario Hockey League blueliners Zayne Parekh and Henry Mews. Conroy’s roster retool is already showing signs of progress thanks to the development of goalie Dustin Wolf and forwards like Matt Coronato, Connor Zary, and Jakob Pelletier.

Andersson could suit up with that generation of Flames in the new rink and be part of a core that includes Wolf, Zary, Coronato, Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and MacKenzie Weegar. He’d a key contributor in the team's next phase of contention and possibly see his No. 4 rise to the new building's rafters someday.

Since assuming the GM role, Conroy has committed to avoiding previous mistakes by moving on from players if he sensed they would not commit long-term to southern Alberta. He dealt Tyler Toffoli, Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, and Jacob Markstrom instead of losing them for nothing.

He has to have a similar approach with Andersson, as tough as it might be given their close relationship. Conroy has to determine if Andersson sees a future for himself with the only NHL team he’s ever known.

Andersson's choice will have major ramifications on the club in 2025 and beyond.