Rasmus Andersson trade grades for Golden Knights, Flames

Hockey fans have been anticipating a Rasmus Andersson trade for some time. The veteran defenseman had a falling out with the Calgary Flames during the summer, and it led to a breakdown in extension talks. In recent days, trade rumors reached a fever pitch. And on Sunday, things finally came together. Andersson is now a member of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights have been linked to Andersson for some time. Now, the veteran defender heads to the Sin City with a chance to win a Stanley Cup. With all this in mind, how does the trade work for both sides on paper? Here are our trade grades for the Flames and Golden Knights.

Full Rasmus Andersson trade

The Vegas Golden Knights acquired defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames. In exchange, Calgary received defenseman Zach Whitecloud, a top-10 protected 2027 first-round pick, a conditional 2028 second-round pick, and prospect defenseman Abram Wiebe. If Vegas wins the Stanley Cup this season, the second-round pick upgrades to a 2028 first-round pick. Calgary also retained 50% of Andersson’s salary.

Golden Knights banking on past success with Andersson

As mentioned, the Golden Knights have had an interest in Andersson for a while now. Things ramped up during the offseason, when it was reported that the only team Andersson wanted to sign an extension with was Vegas. For now, the two sides don’t have an extension in place. An extension will be tough, considering that Vegas has less than $4 million in cap space.

In any event, there are positives and negatives to acquiring Andersson. The veteran defenseman is an upgrade over Whitecloud, but how much of an upgrade he represents is up for debate. On one hand, Andersson is a much better offensive presence than Whitecloud. But his defense has been on a significant decline in recent seasons.

Andersson’s defense has rebounded a bit this year, but overall, he won’t be a shutdown defender. He can certainly handle himself in his own end, but he won’t be an elite defender by any means. At the same time, this may not matter as much as it seems. The Golden Knights needed a right-shot to play in place of the injured Alex Pietrangelo, and Andersson fills that need.

Vegas is likely banking on past success here. Andersson has extensive experience playing with Noah Hanifin, who the Golden Knights traded for last season, from when both skated for the Flames. That pairing found success, winning the majority of their matchups. It’s very possible Bruce Cassidy attempts to see how this pairing performs in Vegas.

Overall, this isn’t the worst move for Vegas, especially if they can sign him to an extension. The price paid is a bit steep, and it becomes even steeper if they fail to sign him. For now, though, the Golden Knights do well to solidify themselves as a contender in a rather weak Pacific Division.

Is this the start of Flames’ fire sale?

The Flames had little leverage in this situation. It was known for a while that Andersson was not re-signing in Calgary. And a lot of reports indicated that their veteran defender only wanted to go to a handful of teams. Despite this, it’s hard to hate what general manager Craig Conroy was able to do here.

The Flames add Whitecloud, who is signed for two seasons after this year at a very reasonable cap hit. Moreover, they could walk away with two first-round picks at the end of this. Even if they don’t, they still add two early-round picks to their cabinet. If the conditional pick converts, Calgary will have six first-rounders in the next three drafts.

Is this the best return possible? Probably not. Especially considering their lack of leverage here. But it’s still an impressive bit of business from Conroy, considering the circumstances.

This trade also begs the question as to whether Calgary is set to begin a fire sale. Andersson is not the only valuable player on the Flames roster. Blake Coleman is a likely trade candidate, even after being placed on injured reserve. Ryan Lomberg is a potential depth option as a rental, and Nazem Kadri represents one of the big fish at this year’s deadline.

It’s hard to know what a team will do next after a trade like this. The Flames are in a good spot after this trade, and may not need to force a deal involving a player with term. Keep an eye on Calgary over the next few months. This could be the start of a major reshuffling of the deck for the Flames.

Grades and final thoughts

Both the Flames and Golden Knights get good grades for the Rasmus Andersson trade. In the end, each team comes out of this with something. Andersson is a solidifying force on Vegas’s blueline, even if he’s not the most significant upgrade over Zach Whitecloud. The Flames got an NHL veteran who can take on tough assignments and help shelter Calgary’s younger defensemen. Moreover, they added more picks to their pile to aid their future planning. All in all, it’s a good deal for both sides.

Vegas Golden Knights grade: B+

Calgary Flames grade: B+

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