The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the Stanley Cup favorites this season and will look to add to their roster throughout the season as one trade pitch has them acquiring a star defenseman.
The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquire Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames.
Maple Leafs acquire:
Flames acquire:
- Topi Niemela
- Roni Hirvonen
- 2026 first-round pick
The proposed deal makes sense for both teams as the Maple Leafs further bolsters its blue line while Calgary gets two prospects and a first-round pick to help its rebuild.
Andersson is in the fifth year of his six-year $27.3 million deal. The star defenseman could serve as Toronto’s second-line right-shot pairing, and make the right side of its defense be Chris Tanev, Andersson, and Jake McCabe which would be one of the best right sides in the NHL. Last season, Andersson skated in 78 games recording 9 goals and 30 assists for 39 points.
In return, Toronto would deal a first-round pick and defensive prospect Niemela. Niemela is 22 and was selected 64th overall in the 2020 NHL draft and could replace Andersson on the right side of the defense. Last season in the AHL, he skated in 68 games recording 8 goals and 31 assists for 38 points.
Hirvonen, meanwhile, is also 22 and was selected 59th overall in the 2020 NHL draft. The centerman is likely a middle-six forward in the NHL but could use another year of development in the AHL. Last season in the AHL, he skated in 37 games recording 7 goals and 6 assists for 13 points.
Maple Leafs Coach Pleased With Team’s Defense
Toronto hired Craig Berube to be the team’s new head coach this offseason.
In training camp, Berube put an emphasis on being a tough team to play against, and the coach has been pleased with his team’s defense.
“Our work ethic, our defense, and our checking for the first two games have been really good,” Berube said on the Maple Leafs pre-game broadcast on Sportsnet on October 12. “We just have to stick with that, the goals will come, we created opportunities to score, just hit a bunch of posts and missing a little bit with execution, but that will come.”
Berube also said that after Toronto’s win on October 12, he wants his team to be able to control the puck, play sound defensively, and not get into high-scoring games.
“We don’t want to get into that back-and-forth type of game, we want to have a territorial game,” Berube said. “We got to get back and get a good coverage and make sure we’re heavier on our net.”
Toronto is off to a 2-1 start through October 13.
Flames GM Wants to Keep Andersson in Calgary
With Andersson having two years left on his deal, his name will come up in trade rumors around the trade deadline.
Andersson would be one of the top defensive available, but Flames general manager Craig Conroy hopes he can sign the star defenseman to an extension.
“For me he’s a Flame. He can be a Flame for a long, long time,” Conroy told The Athletic. “At some point we’re going to have those conversations, but he has two years left on his deal. And I know he’s super competitive and wants to win and I think he feels like he’s a big part of this. In fact, he knows he is.
“As the season goes along you’re going to see all the ice time he gets, all the key spots he’s in. For us to have success he’s going to need to get back to where he was a few years ago. Last year was a weird year. He had a good year, but we need him to have an even better year,” Conroy continued.
Andersson would be eligible to sign an extension on July 1, 2025.
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Trade Pitch Sees Maple Leafs Acquiring Star $27 Million Defenseman