By Chris Johnston, Julian McKenzie and Jesse Granger
The Vegas Golden Knights are swinging for the fences yet again, acquiring defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames. The Flames received defenseman Zach Whitecloud, a 2027 first-round pick, a conditional 2028 second-round pick and prospect Abram Wiebe from Vegas in Sunday’s trade.
Calgary is retaining 50 percent of Andersson’s $4.55 million salary through the end of the season. The 2027 first is top-10 protected; the 2028 second-rounder converts to a first if Vegas wins the Stanley Cup this season.
The deal was reminiscent of the one the teams struck in March 2024, when Vegas acquired defenseman Noah Hanifin from Calgary and signed him to a max-length contract extension, and will further buff the Golden Knights’ reputation as an organization willing to go all-in year after year. Hanifin took a month after Vegas traded for him to extend. The Golden Knights were comfortable making the trade without an extension in place. Andersson is a pending unrestricted free agent who has previously viewed Vegas as a desirable landing spot, according to league sources.
Andersson was the top available right-shot defenseman on the market and is in the midst of a career-best season with 10 goals and 30 points in 48 games. He logged more than 24 minutes per night in Calgary this season and was a plus player on a team sporting a minus-17 goal differential overall. The 29-year-old was also chosen to represent Sweden at next month’s Milan Cortina Olympics.
In Vegas, Andersson jumps into a gaping lineup hole previously occupied by Alex Pietrangelo, who has been ruled out for the season following a hip procedure. It’s possible Andersson could even be reunited with his former defense partner Hanifin, with whom he skated more than 970 minutes at five-on-five during the 2022-23 season, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Most importantly, Andersson will join a team leaving no stone unturned in its pursuit of another championship. That obviously held a big appeal to a veteran who appeared in only 27 playoff games during his 10-year run in Calgary.
Why did the Flames move on from Andersson?
The Flames continue their retooling and rebuilding process, aiming to become younger and acquire star talent. There was an opportunity to do that by moving Andersson’s contract.
Calgary had an asset in Andersson that could net them a sizable return, holding the most enticing defenseman on the trade market according to The Athletic’s Chris Johnston and his trade board. Andersson is in his prime years and playing in the final season of a cost-efficient contract, yet the Flames never felt rushed about moving on from him until the time was right. Even this past summer, when the market for defensemen was rather thin.
But the writing was on the wall that he’d eventually change addresses. Flames captain Mikael Backlund told The Athletic’s Michael Russo that it was “obvious” he’d be traded when the two spoke this past summer.
“But the team wants value. He wants a big contract. So, he wants to play well,” Backlund said. “The team needs him to play well. So, just go out and play. I talked to him, too, and he doesn’t want to be a distraction. So it’s all good. It’s too bad it’s come to this.”
Space would also inevitably have to be made for the Flames on defense, considering the young prospects waiting in the wings (Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz come to mind).
In recent games, Andersson’s health became a primary point of concern. Andersson fought with Columbus Blue Jackets forward Boone Jenner. It showcased a valuable part of his skill set, his toughness. But it may have forced Calgary’s hand to make a move sooner rather than later, at the risk of him being injured and becoming a diminished asset.
Rasmus Andersson and Boone Jenner drop the gloves 🥊 pic.twitter.com/Ozj1tk4WrD
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 14, 2026
Andersson played the final game of his Flames tenure Saturday afternoon, a 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders. He earned a primary assist on the first goal, scored by Yegor Sharangovich.
After the final whistle, Andersson met his teammates at the boards before they all walked off the ice. He high-fived each one before leaving the ice for the last time as a Flame.
Rasmus Andersson high-fived all his teammates before leaving the ice in Calgary 👀 #HockeyDay pic.twitter.com/xXKl7e00cJ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 17, 2026
What it means for the Golden Knights
With this trade, Vegas is hoping to (at least partially) fill the hole left by Alex Pietrangelo, who stepped away from hockey with a hip injury in the offseason. Pietrangelo had led the team in ice time for the last several seasons, and his presence – particularly on breakouts – has been missed.
The Golden Knights are currently on a seven-game win streak, and have scored more goals than any other team in the NHL during that span, but before that they lost eight of their last nine. During that downturn, breaking the puck out of their own zone was the biggest glaring weakness. Andersson should help in that regard almost immediately, as he’s a fleet-footed defenseman with good passing ability and vision. Along with Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin, Andersson gives Vegas another possession-dominant blueliner for Bruce Cassidy to deploy.
Vegas adds Rasmus Andersson who is having a decent bounce-back season with the Flames. Grades out as a defensively liable No. 2/3 pic.twitter.com/05SRL2DTf4
— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) January 18, 2026
While there’s no extension in place at the time of the trade, the Golden Knights have made plenty of these types of trades over the years, and an extension has always followed shortly after. Vegas already has Theodore and Hanifin locked up through the 2031-32 season with cap hits of $7.425 million and $7.35 million, respectively.
Andersson’s next contract projects to be in a similar price range, so if the Golden Knights do end up signing him long-term, they’ll have half of their blue line signed to big, lengthy contracts.
The Golden Knights’ defense has been excellent this season when it comes to the underlying metrics. They’ve allowed the second-fewest shots (24.19) and the fewest expected goals (2.79) per 60 minutes, according to Natural Stat Trick. However, they rank No. 12 in goals allowed per 60 minutes (2.91), largely due to the No. 27-ranked team save percentage.
Andersson should strengthen an already stout defense and help Vegas’ talented forward group create more opportunities on the rush with his passing abilities.
What are the Golden Knights getting in Andersson?
Andersson is a top-pairing, all-situations right shot who could fit well on a team seeking defensive depth and offensive talents from its back end. The Swedish defenseman just captained Team Sweden to a bronze medal at last spring’s World Championship, a team with now former teammate and current Flames captain Mikael Backlund.
This season, Andersson has four power-play goals, one behind team leader Matthew Coronato. That is tied for fifth among NHL defensemen this season, trailing Darren Raddysh, Evan Bouchard, Matthew Schaefer and Seth Jones. Even at five-on-five, Andersson is unafraid of jumping into the offense and contributing. And when he does score, he’ll let opposing fans know through his stare-down celebration.
RASMUS ANDERSSON HIT THE STARE DOWN CELLY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6kE5gO0JvT
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 18, 2025
Injuries have affected Andersson’s effectiveness in recent years. He played the final 12 games of the 2024-25 season with a broken fibula. Andersson rushed back to the lineup after being struck by a scooter in Detroit during the 2022-23 season.
Andersson’s defensive rating, according to Evolving-Hockey’s model, has plummeted from 1.5 to -7.7 since the 2021-22 campaign. His Corsi, according to Natural Stat Trick, has also been in decline since 2021-22, going from 54.97 to 47.98 year-over-year. Of course, the Flames haven’t been a playoff team since that 2021-22 season. The hope is that the Golden Knights could put Andersson in a second-pairing role or have him play alongside a defensively responsible rear guard.
What’s next for Calgary?
Trading Andersson will take an emotional toll on the Flames’ dressing room, even if the writing has been on the wall for some time now. He’s hovered around the top of The Athletic’s Big Board all season and was listed at No. 3 on the version published Jan. 8.
The player had remained open to signing a contract extension in Calgary, but his personal timeline didn’t align neatly with the window the organization feels it will need to rebuild on the fly. Ultimately, Andersson proved to be a valuable trade asset in a season the Flames are expected to be charting their draft-lottery odds rather than their playoff odds down the stretch, and his departure will open more playing time for Calgary’s next wave, led by Parekh.
Andersson leaves behind other veterans expected to draw significant interest before the March 6 trade deadline – notably winger Blake Coleman, at No. 4 on the Big Board, and center Nazem Kadri, who will soon climb from his most recent position at No. 19. Both players have term remaining on their contracts and play meaningful roles for the Flames, so it’s no guarantee either will be dealt.
Someone is going to have to compel Calgary to trade another veteran with a strong offer, particularly in Coleman’s case, because he carries a highly reasonable $4.9 million cap hit through the end of next season. Multiple rival NHL teams have already inquired about the services of a two-time Stanley Cup champion. Kadri’s contract runs three more seasons at $7 million annually and includes a modified no-trade clause. It’s a little more problematic to move. But there won’t be a large market of centers available, particularly those as competitive as Kadri.
All in all, no one should view the Andersson trade as the start of a complete fire sale in Calgary. It’s a forward-looking move, to be sure, but the Flames believe they’ll need to keep some trusted veteran voices around to help ease their transition toward becoming a younger team.
