Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours! It is going to be a wild finish to end the regular season, and the trade deadline is getting close. Teams know where they stand and some will be busier than others. What an exciting time it is going to be. Today’s rumours focus on the Calgary Flames and the Buffalo Sabres.
NHL Rumours
Calgary Flames
Rumour: Kevin Weekes brings up that another Calgary Flames defenceman is drawing interest
If Craig Conroy was not going to be busy already, his plate became fuller. The big names such as Jacob Markstrom, Noah Hanifin, and Chris Tanev are drawing big interest. In fact, there may have been a deal nearly done with the New Jersey Devils but things fell through. It’s never too late, as a team can circle back, but there is another name that appears to be on the board. Weekes brings up that defenceman Rasmus Andersson is drawing interest from around the league.
There is no telling what direction the Flames are going to head, but all signs are pointing towards a rebuild. The pieces to build around are in place but if they want to gain as much capital as possible, moving on from prominent pieces is ideal. Andersson is an intriguing piece, given he is 27 years old. He is in the prime years of his career and is on an affordable contract.
Andersson has two years left and has a AAV of $4.5 million per season. If a team is looking for help on the back end, he is under team control. Also, he has shown he can produce and be a steady puck mover from the back end. In 2021-22 he finished with four goals and 50 points, which was a career high. Also, last year he nearly matched that with a 49 point season. He has 28 points in 50 games this year.
It remains to be seen what teams are interested but this is a good player they would end up with. Definitely something to monitor down the stretch.
Buffalo Sabres
Rumour: Jeff Marek on 32 Thoughts discusses a player linked to the Sabres
The next set of NHL Rumours takes us to the East. One team that was pegged to take the next steps was the Buffalo Sabres. Instead it has been a near disaster and the team is at the bottom of the barrel in the conference. What can be chalked up as a lost season, they can look to build towards next year and beyond. The core is in place and the team has the foundation laid for competitive hockey. However, they can use depth pieces and added pieces to complement the roster.
The player that Marek wonders about for the Sabres is Philadelphia Flyers centre Scott Laughton. Laughton is a tough customer and brings depth down the middle of the ice. He is also a veteran and with a younger team like the Sabres could use more of that type of presence.
Laughton is eighth on the Flyers in points this season (24) but is more known for his defensive play. He starts 15.5% of his starts in his own end. But he is a physical presence, as he has 101 hits this season and bringing that edge to the Sabres would be good for them.
Marek highlights a potential package could be younger player Peyton Krebs could go the other way. With the Flyers being competitive, they are still getting younger and building the next wave of hockey for the club.
Main Photo: Brett Holmes-USA TODAY Sports
