Rasmus Andersson Records Three Points in Flames' Victory

Rasmus Andersson contributed significantly to the Calgary Flames' 6-2 victory over the Sabres on Wednesday, tallying three points. He scored one goal on three shots and added two assists. Andersson also recorded three blocked shots and finished with a plus-2 rating. Historically, Andersson had two strong seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23 with 50 and 49 points respectively, before a step back last year with nine goals and 39 points across 78 games. This decline was partly due to a reduced power-play role after the acquisition of Yegor Sharangovich. Despite expectations that this arrangement will continue in 2024-25, making an offensive bounce back unlikely, Andersson is still anticipated to provide around 40 points and over 130 blocks for the third consecutive campaign. He scored 11 goals and added 38 assists last season, cementing his status as the top blueliner with 24:05 of ice time. He remains a threat on the power play, and while his shooting percentage might not match his career-high from last year, his assist numbers are expected to rebound if the Flames find their scoring touch. Andersson has blocked 125 and 136 shots in the last two seasons. He is not an overly physical defenseman but his production and role should make him a top-120 fantasy pick. Fantasy managers who drafted him a year ago got good value, but that is unlikely to be the case this season. He recently completed a career-best campaign with 46 assists and 50 points in all 82 games, adding 19 power-play points, 152 shots, 63 hits, and 125 blocks. Despite potential team setbacks due to player departures, Andersson is expected to play over 22 minutes per game, including significant power-play time, giving him a high fantasy floor in 2022-23. He saw substantial power-play time (2:44 per game) last season, but his final numbers (5 goals, 21 points in 56 games) were similar to the previous year (5 goals, 22 points in 70 games) when he averaged less power-play ice time (1:29 per game). Andersson's primary asset is his locked-in major role on the Calgary blueline, and he needs to pile up points to be an attractive fantasy option, offering less in blocks and hits than a typical defenseman. He took a marginal step forward with five goals and 22 points in 70 appearances last season, but struggled defensively with a minus-7 rating. He is expected to fill a full-time, top-four role in 2020-21, which should boost his scoring. Andersson also saw power-play time and was expected to reprise his role on the second unit in 2020-21. For a full season, he was projected to approach 30 points with 140 shots, 50-plus PIM, and 90 blocked shots. In his first full NHL season in 2018-19, he played 79 games with 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) and 115 shots. He typically played on the third pairing but sometimes alongside Mark Giordano. His plus-17 rating demonstrated defensive capability, earning him the trust of coach Bill Peters. He was expected to improve in 2019-20, potentially reaching 30 points and 140 shots. If he secured more time on the top pairing, he could be in line for a breakout season within two to three years. He spent most of the previous season with AHL Stockton, recording nine goals and 30 assists in 56 games, and also played 10 NHL games without registering a point. He was expected to spend most of the year in the minors again, but replicating his plus-20 rating could lead to more NHL opportunities.