The contract talks with Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson have been a constant storyline in the media and various fan circles this fall and in the 2025 offseason. With training camp and the preseason underway this fall, there have been rampant rumors and speculation regarding potential teams that could be interested in possibly trading for Anderson from the Flames this upcoming season.
Could Rasmus Andersson be a viable hypothetical trade deadline target for the Los Angeles Kings blue line core this upcoming season in 2025-26?
Among the teams that multiple media outlets have speculated could be a potential trade destination for Andersson, including Bleacher Report's Adam Getz earlier this month in September, is the Los Angeles Kings.
While the defensive core on the blue line has been deep and talented for the Kings and head coach Jim Hiller in the past two or three seasons in the Pacific Division, the front office did have some major shakeups to this group earlier in the 2025 offseason in this past free agent cycle.
The Kings added Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci this summer in free agency this past cycle to the projected roster for the upcoming season to replace Vladislav Gavrikov and Jordan Spence (traded to the Ottawa Senators).
New general manager Ken Holland and the Kings are mainly looking to add offensive help to the forward core this upcoming season for the projected roster this campaign in 2025-26. If the Kings get pretty creative financially with the cap sheet this upcoming season, it could move some key players to get a hypothetical trade deal done with the Flames to get Andersson from Calgary with a larger return from LA.
Holland and the Kings have prioritized making it deeper into contending in the upcoming postseason next spring for 2026. Getting a defenseman with the type of talent and offensive scoring production Andersson brings from the Flames could help give the Kings' blue line core a boost this season in the West.
He scored double-digit goals this past season for the Flames and scored over 30 points for Calgary.
The Hockey News writer Michael DeRosa said "it is not a secret that Andersson is a prime trade candidate" going into this upcoming season in the Pacific Division.