We didn’t know what exactly to expect from Rasmus Andersson heading into the 2025-26 season. It could have gone in a few different directions. Would he be an extension of the minus-38 player he was last season? Would he get back to being the Andersson of old? Or could he take a step forward and play the best hockey of his career?

Turns out he’s playing the best hockey of his career and has turned into the most important player on the Calgary Flames.

I was a little worried about Andersson heading into this season. He was coming off his worst campaign as a member of the Flames putting up 31 points. That was his lowest point per game output since the 2021 bubble season. He had the third worst plus/minus in the NHL. He was outscored 62-42 at 5-on-5. Had Andersson played up to his career average last season, the Flames would have made the playoffs.

On the ice things weren’t good. The same could be said for his relationship between himself and the fan base. Andersson made it clear at the end of last season that he was not happy with how fans online were treating him and the team. And he let it be known at his end of season media availability.

“If you’re cheering for us to lose, then you’re not a real fan.” Those words upset a group of fans (myself included) who just want this organization to have sustained success and have a legitimate shot at a Stanley Cup one day.

Between his play on the ice, his rocky relationship with the fans off the ice, and being a pending UFA, this season had the potential to go off the rails for the 29 year old Swedish defenceman. Was he going to be a big time distraction?

To Andersson’s credit, he has been the furthest thing from a distraction.

He’s put everything from the past behind him, and has come into the 25-26 season playing the best hockey of his career.

Andersson is on pace for a career high 57 points. He takes on the most difficult match-ups at 5-on-5. He is the quarterback on the top power play unit. And he leads the Flames penalty killing ice time. He touches every facet of the game for Calgary has been doing it all at a high level.

There were a lot of incentives for Andersson to have a great season. He is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and was also playing for a spot on Sweden’s Olympic roster. And what has he done? He has significantly increased his value on the open market and is a lock to make team Sweden and play an important role with that group.

And it’s great for the Flames too as I am going to assume Andersson’s trade value has gone up compared to what it was last summer.

It’s too bad the Flames are where they are in their winning cycle. In an ideal world you’d love to bring back a player and person like Andersson on a long term contract. But because the Flames are far away from being a contender and Andersson’s age, it makes nothing but sense to move on from him.

In the off-season, myself and a lot of other Flames fans were clamouring for Andersson to be traded. But I’m happy he returned because firstly, he improved his trade value, and secondly, he repaired his relationship with the fan base after a contentious end to last season. It would have been disappointing for Andersson to leave under those terms because he has been a great member of this organization for the last decade and to lose that reputation over one bad season would have been upsetting. But to his credit, he’s come in and played his ass off for the fans and the organization.

Let’s take a look at a couple other Flames storylines.

The infamous Don Maloney intermission interview went down on Nov. 19 in Buffalo. Since then, the Flames have gone 10-4-1, good for fourth in the NHL in points percentage over that time.

Was Maloney playing 3D chess with his press strategy? Did he intentionally take the heat off his team and put it on himself? I’ll let Flames conspiracy theorists determine if that was the case or not.

But regardless, it’s been pretty remarkable turnaround for a group that looked to be destined to finish 32nd in the overall standings.

There are a lot of reasons why they have been able to turn things around. I won’t go into great detail but here are the positive aspects of the Flames game over the last month and a bit.

Give credit to the team for not giving up. The players could have easily lost all hope and packed it in to a certain extent. But they have been resilient and are continuing to prove people wrong.

Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar might as well have starred in Freakier Friday instead of Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. The two Flames defenders are having their own case of switching bodies.

Andersson is having the season Weegar had in 2024-25 this year.

Weegar is having the season Andersson has in 2024-25 this year.

Here is a wild stat for you. When MacKenzie Weegar is on the ice at 5-on-5, the Flames have been outscored 35-15. When he is not on the ice, the Flames have outscored their opposition 46-39. He is on pace for a career worst 25 points. Those numbers are shocking for a player like Weegar who has been incredible during his first three seasons in Calgary.

Then there is Andersson who is having a career year. He’s on pace for a career high 16 goals and 57 points. The Flames have outscored their opposition 33-30 with Andersson on the ice at 5-on-5. Without Andersson on the ice, the Flames have been outscored 44-29.

It’s just one of those years where things aren’t going Weegar’s way.

The Flames fourth line has struggled since acquiring Johnny Beecher off the waiver wire on Nov. 18.

Since then, the fourth line of Ryan Lomberg, Adam Klapka, and Beecher have been caved in as a unit.

When those three are on the ice at the same time, the Flames get badly outchanced and outscored. And that matters for a team whose margin for error is so small. Every line needs to be contributing when you don’t have elite talent that can put a team on their backs.

I wonder if we are going to see Justin Kirkland get in the lineup soon after being recalled over the weekend. Beecher has yet to show that he deserves to be an everyday NHLer.