FLAMES DEPTH CHART: Eyes on Ramsus Andersson's future, deep pool of defencemen
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Between the ever-growing anticipation of Zayne Parekh 's upcoming NHL rookie season and the ongoing speculation about where Rasmus Andersson might get traded, the blue-liners have got people talking, that's for sure.
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And yet, as we look back two months ago to the last time we did a deep-dive on the Flames' defensive depth chart, it sort of feels like not much has changed. The prospect pool is exciting, while the NHL roster should look pretty similar to the group from last season.
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With a year left on his deal, it's looking increasingly like Rasmus Andersson will be playing for the Flames next season. It's almost inevitable that he'll get traded at some point during the campaign, but with no move materializing around the draft last month, a trade doesn't seem imminent.
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There are no concerns about Andersson's attitude or the effort he'll put in next season. GM Craig Conroy has been abundantly clear on that.
Will his future be a distraction that hangs over the team? To a certain extent, that's probably inevitable, but the Swede is an NHL veteran who clearly values his relationship with both the organization and the city, so there really shouldn't be too much concern.
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This story won't go away until the Flames pull the trigger on a deal — or sign Andersson to an unlikely extension.
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When the Flames signed both Kevin Bahl and Joel Hanley to extensions, it provided some stability and a little clarity about what the blue line will look like this season.
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Hanley formed a nice pairing with MacKenzie Weegar last season, and that will likely continue, while Bahl and Andersson will presumably start the 2025-26 campaign paired together.
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That's your top four and with Brayden Pachal, Parekh and Jake Bean all available, the Flames have options, too, although you have to wonder whether Daniil Miromanov will be the odd man out.
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Parekh isn't going to go back to the OHL next season. There's nothing left for him to prove there and the time has come for him to begin making the transition to being an NHL player.
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He's too young to play in the AHL, although that will change in 2026-27 when every team will be allowed one 19-year-old.
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That means the ninth-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft will be with the Flames, and that feels like a big step in the team's retool. The new era has arrived, or so it seems.
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