'SKY'S THE LIMIT FOR THIS GUY'

Nothing ostentatious on tap.
"My girlfriend,'' reported Rasmus Andersson, "is feeling a little under the weather. So we'll just relax tonight. Watch a movie, probably.
"Maybe open a nice bottle of wine I've saved for a long time. To celebrate."
Well, then, cheers.
Salud. Cin-cin. Prost. Bottoms-up.
Or, in Andersson's native Swedish, skål or brännvin.

A freshly-signed six-year contract worth $4.5-million average annually is surely something worth raising a glass and toasting.
In this case for both the gent who happily put pen to paper.
And the organization making the outlay.
"We're all happy that it got sorted out really quick,'' said Andersson on Wednesday night. "We love the city. We love the team. We love everything about the situation.
"I wanted to be here long-term. Which is why I signed for six years.
"I feel like this is just the start of something good."

So, naturally, does Calgary Flames' general manager Brad Treliving.
"He's already taken on a big role, a big responsibility, at a young time in his career,'' said Treliving of the 23-year-old defenceman hailing from Malmo. "We're talking about a guy who's just coming into his second year.
"I really do think Ras has only scratched the surface.
"The growth that's there for him, where we project he's going to get to, we wanted to at least see if we could get him locked in contractually. You never know when you start these things how they'll play out.
"We had real good dialogue. We wanted to commit to him. He wanted to commit to us. When you start with that base you can usually find a way to make things work.
"At the end of the day it gives him great security.
"I think it's a great deal for Rasmus, and I think it'll be a real good deal for the Flames.
"He's only going to continue to grow, to evolve. The sky's the limit for this guy."

The Flames' second pick, 53rd overall, in the 2015 entry draft, Andersson has played mix-n-match with many defensive-pairing partners during his time here topside since arriving for keeps from AHL Stockton, displaying his versatility and adaptability even as he continues to acclimatize to the NHL level.
"I feel like the coaches and management trust me, whoever I'm playing with,'' he said. "That's a good sign. And I think I'm up to that trust.
"I really do feel comfortable playing beside whoever they use me with.
"My defensive game has been really good the last two years but I feel I can still get more involved offensively from time to time.
"A few times I find myself holding back, playing it safe. So I do think I can take another step forward in my offensive game. Use my shot a little more. Everybody keeps telling me: 'Shoot more. Shoot more.'
"And they're probably right.
"If I do shoot the puck more often, I think the numbers will come, too."