The Vegas Golden Knights are one of the NHL’s most aggressive teams. They consistently top the list of trade rumors given their penchant for continuous upgrades. One such upgrade is the search for a right-shot top-four defenseman.
As insider Pierre LeBrun noted in a December 24 piece in The Athletic, the Golden Knights could land such a blueliner. That defenseman in question is the Calgary Flames‘ Rasmus Andersson.
Andersson has been the focal point of numerous trade rumors going back to last season. That’s precisely the reason why LeBrun believes Andersson would be the ideal fit for the Golden Knights.
He wrote:
“Why a trade to Vegas? Well, to start, it came pretty close to happening in June. And in my mind, the Knights still have a hole in their lineup from Alex Pietrangelo missing the season. The problem is that Vegas would have to find a new way to entice the Flames, as the Knights have traded away some of the players who were in the June trade discussion (such as Nicolas Hague to the Nashville Predators).”
Indeed, the Golden Knights were close to landing Andersson last season. But it was the loss of Pietrangelo this season that has opened up a significant hole in Vegas’ defense corps. But LeBurn adds this caveat:
“But here’s another reason I like Vegas as a fit: The Flames know that in a perfect world, they trade Andersson with an agreement that he’ll sign an extension with his new team, to augment the trade return. Andersson was willing to extend with Vegas in the summer as part of a potential trade. Let’s see both clubs revisit this scenario then.”
Seeing the Golden Knights land Andersson may not be as far-fetched as some may believe.
Golden Knights Should Have Cap Space for Andersson
The Knights’ biggest enemy could be cap space. But that situation may work out given the circumstances.
First of all, Andersson comes with a $4.55 million cap hit . That’s doable as Vegas has over $5 million stemming from Pientrangelo’s contract on LTIR. Moving into next season, that LTIR money will be there, plus the bump in the salary cap.
As such, the Golden Knights should have the wherewithal to sign Andersson to an extension. That situation could make this deal much more feasible than initially thought.
The Price Tag for Andersson Should Be High
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. The price tag on Rasmus Andersson could be high for the Vegas Golden Knights. The club lacks the sort of high-end prospects that could wow the Flames.
Still, the Knights have their first-round pick in 2027 and their 2026 second-rounder. Plus, their current crop of prospects could be enough to entice the Flames to go ahead with the deal.
There’s another powerful reason. Andersson has a six-team no-trade clause this season. While that list isn’t exactly restrictive, it could be enough to block certain trades from happening. That’s why the Golden Knights may be the easiest and best deal the Flames could complete this season.
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