Top 5 potential trade suitors for Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson
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And, then again, it might not happen for several months.
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Amid reports there has been no traction on a contract extension and since the Flames have some promising prospects on the right side of their blue line, it seems like a certainty that Andersson will be swapped between now and the trade deadline.
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The 28-year-old workhorse is set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, so he is signed for one more season at a cap-hit of US$4.55 million. That's good bang-for-buck when you consider that he has been Calgary's ice-time leader in three of the past four winters, wears a letter on his sweater and can both put up points and rack up blocked shots.
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The insiders have stressed that Flames general manager Craig Conroy won't rush this decision, that he will wait for a fair return.
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As Conroy works the phones, here are five teams that could/should be calling about Andersson.
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DALLAS STARS
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The Stars have made consecutive trips to the Western Conference final, ousted by the Edmonton Oilers both times, and their most obvious shortcoming this spring was the need for another Top-4 defenceman. They were asking a lot of Cody Ceci as Thomas Harley's sidekick in a big-minute role.
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He undoubtedly is on Jim Nill's radar and it helps that the Flames could potentially ease some of the cap concerns in Big D. The inclusion of Mat Dumba or Ilya Lyubushkin, both righty rearguards, would count as a salary dump.
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As they try to scratch their way past the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference, Andersson could be an intriguing fit in Carolina. He offers more offensive oomph than most of their current blueliners — he equalled a career-high with 11 goals this winter — and can provide the sort of snarl that would be helpful in a future playoff run-in with the Panthers.
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National Post
22 minutes ago
- National Post
‘He's a bit of a throwback': Meet Calgary Flames third-round pick Mace'o Phillips
The Flames selected defenceman Mace'o Phillips, a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, with the No. 80 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Rena Laverty, courtesy of USNTDP On Friday night, shortly after the Calgary Flames called his name in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, Cullen Potter fielded several questions about his mom. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors An obvious angle, since Jenny won four Olympic medals during an illustrious hockey career. The following day, when the Flames welcomed Mace'o Phillips to the fold, the heavy-hitting blue-liner wanted to brag a bit about his own mother, Amy. 'She's kind of the reason I am who I am today,' Phillips said. 'She is the first person I hugged when I got picked. I can't thank her enough for all she's done for me.' Amy has been a pillar of strength for this defence prospect from Wayzata, Minn., raising Mace'o and his sister as a single parent. She was also a heck of an athlete in her own right. During the draft broadcast, they mentioned that Amy competed in gymnastics and soccer. According to her son, who has spent the past two seasons with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (USNTDP), there was another sport that they forgot to mention. 'Her eighth-grade year, she was out in the field at Apple Valley High School here in Minnesota and she was just kicking some field goals with her friends,' Phillips said. 'And the boys' football coach saw her kicking field goals and they asked her to be the kicker for the boys' football team in high school. 'So I definitely get some of that athleticism from her.' Potter and Phillips, two of the eight prospects selected by the Flames in the 2025 NHL Draft, are actually close friends. They both hail from Minnesota and were teammates with the USNTDP in 2023-24. Everything College Hockey recently filmed a day-in-the-life feature on Potter, who has already played his freshman season with the Arizona State Sun Devils, and Phillips makes a cameo as his pickleball partner. You can bet these buddies have been volleying back and forth about eventually becoming fan faves in Calgary. Just like Jenny was a speedster on skates, Cullen can absolutely fly. This potential pivot is now the fastest player in the Flames' pipeline and has the soft hands required to make offensive plays at high pace. While Mace'o moves well for his size, he is less dash and more smash. At 6-foot-6 and 233 pounds, he would also be an appealing football recruit. He plays an aggressive, imposing brand and led the USNTDP in penalty minutes this winter, with 103. There is a former NHL tough guy on the Flames' amateur scouting staff, and he can vouch for Phillips' grip strength.
Edmonton Journal
27 minutes ago
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‘He's a bit of a throwback': Meet Calgary Flames third-round pick Mace'o Phillips
Article content On Friday night, shortly after the Calgary Flames called his name in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, Cullen Potter fielded several questions about his mom. An obvious angle, since Jenny won four Olympic medals during an illustrious hockey career. Article content The following day, when the Flames welcomed Mace'o Phillips to the fold, the heavy-hitting blue-liner wanted to brag a bit about his own mother, Amy. Article content 'She's kind of the reason I am who I am today,' Phillips said. 'She is the first person I hugged when I got picked. I can't thank her enough for all she's done for me.' Amy has been a pillar of strength for this defence prospect from Wayzata, Minn., raising Mace'o and his sister as a single parent. She was also a heck of an athlete in her own right. During the draft broadcast, they mentioned that Amy competed in gymnastics and soccer. According to her son, who has spent the past two seasons with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (USNTDP), there was another sport that they forgot to mention. 'Her eighth-grade year, she was out in the field at Apple Valley High School here in Minnesota and she was just kicking some field goals with her friends,' Phillips said. 'And the boys' football coach saw her kicking field goals and they asked her to be the kicker for the boys' football team in high school. Article content 'So I definitely get some of that athleticism from her.' Potter and Phillips, two of the eight prospects selected by the Flames in the 2025 NHL Draft, are actually close friends. They both hail from Minnesota and were teammates with the USNTDP in 2023-24. Everything College Hockey recently filmed a day-in-the-life feature on Potter, who has already played his freshman season with the Arizona State Sun Devils, and Phillips makes a cameo as his pickleball partner. 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Amy earns credit for another big assist on this one. 'My mom actually threw me a surprise draft party at a local restaurant, upstairs in a private room,' said Phillips, guesstimating there were about 70 people in attendance. 'When we saw my name, everybody got up and was screaming. I broke down in tears. I really didn't think I was going to cry, but I just immediately hugged my mom. 'I'm kind of at a loss for words, honestly. I'm just so thankful for the opportunity. I couldn't be more excited to be a Flame.' Latest National Stories
Calgary Herald
29 minutes ago
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‘He's a bit of a throwback': Meet Calgary Flames third-round pick Mace'o Phillips
Article content On Friday night, shortly after the Calgary Flames called his name in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, Cullen Potter fielded several questions about his mom. Article content An obvious angle, since Jenny won four Olympic medals during an illustrious hockey career. Article content The following day, when the Flames welcomed Mace'o Phillips to the fold, the heavy-hitting blue-liner wanted to brag a bit about his own mother, Amy. Article content Article content 'She's kind of the reason I am who I am today,' Phillips said. 'She is the first person I hugged when I got picked. I can't thank her enough for all she's done for me.' Article content Article content Amy has been a pillar of strength for this defence prospect from Wayzata, Minn., raising Mace'o and his sister as a single parent. Article content She was also a heck of an athlete in her own right. Article content During the draft broadcast, they mentioned that Amy competed in gymnastics and soccer. According to her son, who has spent the past two seasons with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (USNTDP), there was another sport that they forgot to mention. Article content 'Her eighth-grade year, she was out in the field at Apple Valley High School here in Minnesota and she was just kicking some field goals with her friends,' Phillips said. 'And the boys' football coach saw her kicking field goals and they asked her to be the kicker for the boys' football team in high school. Article content Article content 'So I definitely get some of that athleticism from her.' Article content Article content Potter and Phillips, two of the eight prospects selected by the Flames in the 2025 NHL Draft, are actually close friends. Article content They both hail from Minnesota and were teammates with the USNTDP in 2023-24. Everything College Hockey recently filmed a day-in-the-life feature on Potter, who has already played his freshman season with the Arizona State Sun Devils, and Phillips makes a cameo as his pickleball partner.
