Offseason Trade Or Keep, Defensemen Edition: Flames, Rangers, Sabres

This offseason in the NHL might be a crazy one as the cap is going up and players will be on the move. Some have been rumoured to be on the move for a while and others are more recent possibilities. Either way, let's dive into whether these three defensemen will be staying with their teams or be traded.

Rasmus Andersson, Calgary Flames

Rasmus Andersson has been good for the Calgary Flames and is one of their top-4 defensemen. Right shot d-men aren't all that easy to find, especially ones of his caliber. There has been speculation that the Flames will be trading Andersson before his contract is up because of the spot they are in and the fact that he hasn't signed yet. With how close they got to the playoffs, I don't see it as a smart decision to trade him in the offseason at least. The team needs more time to negotiate and keeping him on the roster gives them that time. At the very worst, no contract can be decided upon and the Flames aren't in a playoff spot, so Andersson is dealt at the deadline when his value is even higher.

K’Andre Miller, New York Rangers

Part of the reasoning given for why K'Andre Miller is a potential trade candidate is that he is due for a raise. The New York Rangers aren't all that set on the back-end and need to keep him around. It will have to be a larger contract with multiple years at this point, but he is a top defensemen and a very good skater. While the team didn't defend very well this season, Miller is only 25 years old and has time to learn. He has had strong performances throughout his career and there aren't options to replace him if moved. The team is going to see more changes, so there will be cap space to work with. I don't think Miller is traded at all because that's just not how the Rangers will see success.

Bowen Byram, Buffalo Sabres

Bowen Byram had a solid season for the Buffalo Sabres that once again missed the playoffs. That isn't on him. He is only 24 and finally played a healthy season. He has had a lot of time to discuss a new contract with the Sabres after being acquired, but nothing seems to have progressed. With the defensemen Buffalo has, there may just be too many options and his potential can't be reached. If someone is to go, it's probably going to be Byram because he isn't home grown and hasn't signed a contract yet. Something has to change for the Sabres and he has the best chance of being dealt at one point this offseason. To where, that remains to be seen.