The Boston Bruins are reportedly one of the front runners for Calgary Flames top-4 defenseman Rasmus Andersson as the right-handed defenseman appears to be on the verge of getting dealt ahead of the Olympic break in the NHL regular season schedule.
It appears to be one of those seasons where a lot of the league’s trade business is going to get done ahead of the February Olympic break as teams want to have some roster certainty prior to the Winter Games. It set up a scene in Calgary on Saturday night where Flames fans were giving Andersson something of a goodbye ovation, with so many insider reports that the Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights are jockeying for the blueliner’s services in an imminent trade.
Elliotte Friedman with a Rasmus Andersson update.
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 17, 2026
Sounds like Boston and Vegas are the two teams with the most interest.
🎥: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/YVM0LdwTwV
The Bruins' offer for Andersson, who has 10 goals and 30 points while averaging 24:14 of ice time in 48 games this season, is reportedly pretty significant with Mason Lohrei, Matt Poitras and a first-round pick all potentially leaving the B’s in the rental deal. The 6-foot-5 Andersson isn’t a bruiser in the defensive zone by any means, but he is a definitive top-4 guy that would lead B’s defensemen in all of the above categories, where he would join a team that absolutely needs top-4 right-shot blueliners.
It would be a no-brainer to add him to a team that’s seen Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm miss time this season, and last season, though both players were in the lineup for Saturday night’s 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center.
The real question is the cost as the reported package going to Calgary would be Lohrei, Poitras and the 2026 first round pick acquired from Toronto in the Brandon Carlo trade last season. That is a high price to play so the current sticking point for the B’s is making certain Andersson would be signing an extension to stay in Boston given how much the B’s would be giving up in the theoretical deal.
Lohrei showed his value on Saturday night by potting a pair of goals, including the game-tying strike, in the sixth consecutive win for the Bruins.
My day started with being told Mason Lohrei was getting traded from the Boston Bruins to the Calgary Flames. Instead he remains a member of the #NHLBruins and has celebrated turning 25 today with a 2-goal game. pic.twitter.com/xmKCoPVgrQ
— Dan Kelley (@DanKelley66) January 18, 2026
“A lot of fun…I live pretty close to here, so a lot of friends and family made the trip. It was a pretty special day and I won’t forget it,” said Lohrei, who also celebrated his 25th birthday on Saturday as well while his sister Zoe was doing pregame starting lineup duties as part of the team’s sibling’s trip. “The past few games I’ve been getting a few more looks, so it’s about getting my feet moving more and finding that open space. I think I’ve been getting back to doing that more and getting shots on net.
“We’re out there and we’re in the O-Zone, so when you’re not contributing as a group you want to help. You want to get in on the action.”
Lohrei's sister legit just crushed that. Well done 👏 https://t.co/7HL1Sd6UGf
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) January 18, 2026
Marco Sturm said it was Lohrei’s best game that he’s seen him play as a member of the Bruins, so that is some pretty high praise for a young player who undoubtedly has high-end offensive talent on the back end.
“For Mason, that was probably his best game as a Bruin,” said Sturm. “He made some really good decisions. Maybe he’s a little bit older now, right? It’s not just today. The last few weeks he’s become more like a defenseman who can do both [offense and defense].”
The 25-year-old defenseman is coming off a season where he had the NHL’s worst plus/minus in the league and has had some defensive hiccups this year as well, but over the whole of the season has been a plus player while on pace for 10 goals and 35 points.
The issue with Lohrei is that it appears he is best suited for a bottom pair role where he can be protected in matchups, and not get exposed as he was last season – and parts of this season – when he was forced into top-4 duty against other team’s top offensive players.
Andersson is likely the