Rasmus Andersson Traded to Vegas Golden Knights

Rasmus Andersson was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights by the Calgary Flames on Sunday for Zach Whitecloud, defenseman prospect Abram Wiebe, a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, and a conditional second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. Andersson was third on the Flames with 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) in 48 games this season. The 29-year-old defenseman also led the team in time on ice per game (24:14) and was second in blocks (90). "In deals like this when you have a player of Rasmus' caliber, it really has to have a first-round pick in it," Flames general manager Craig Conroy said. "That was part of it with all the teams we talked to, and it was just a matter of getting it over the line. So, to have one, to have that second in 2028 -- that if [the Golden Knights] win the Cup, we’ll get another pick in 2028 that’s a first-round pick -- it definitely gives us an opportunity. We know they have a very good team there, and even if we don’t get the first-round pick, we’re very happy with the second-round pick, too." Andersson is in the final season of a six-year, $27.3 million contract ($4.55 million average annual value) he signed with the Flames on Jan. 8, 2020, and can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. Calgary will retain 50 percent of his salary. "I think as we were going along, at times different things changed, whether it was what they were looking for, what we were looking for, but in the end, we were able to get it done with Vegas," Conroy said. "They were willing to do it and do it without a contract, because that was one thing that was made clear to us maybe in the last 12 hours, was there wasn’t going to be an extension signed with any of the teams. That definitely changed the way we had to negotiate and what we got back in return." Selected by Calgary in the second round (No. 53) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Andersson has 261 points (57 goals, 204 assists) in 584 regular-season games and 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 27 Stanley Cup Playoff games. In January, he was named to Team Sweden's roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. “In Rasmus, we get a high-end defenseman," Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said on Monday. "He drives possession, he can make plays, he’s good in transition, and he’s aggressive in the offensive zone. He’s played a lot for the Flames. He’s played a lot of hard minutes for their team. He’s really going to add to our hockey club. "He’s always been in the top 10 or 15 players for the quality of competition. We’re a well-coached team. Calgary plays similarly. He’ll transition well.” Whitecloud has seven points (two goals, five assists) in 47 games this season. The 29-year-old defenseman was also third on the Golden Knights in hits (73), blocks (63) and short-handed time on ice per game (1:44). Whitecloud is in the fourth season of a six-year, $16.5 million contract ($2.75 million AAV) he signed with Vegas on Oct. 28, 2021. Signed by the Golden Knights as an undrafted free agent on March 8, 2018, Whitecloud has 78 points (23 goals, 55 assists) in 368 regular-season games. He also has 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 78 playoff games, including winning the Stanley Cup in 2023. "Another Stanley Cup champion," Conroy said of Whitecloud. "We bring in Zach, and he’s really good on the penalty kill. He plays big minutes with a good Vegas team. I watched him last night, just watching the game, him and (Noah) Hanifin were together. He’s going to bring that ability to come in here and help, especially on the penalty kill. He’s going to eat up a lot of minutes for us." Wiebe, a 22-year-old defenseman, was selected by Vegas in the seventh round (No. 209) of the 2022 NHL Draft. He has 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 24 games as a junior at the University of North Dakota this season. The Golden Knights (24-11-12), who have won seven in a row, are first in the Pacific Division. The Flames (21-23-4) are seventh in the Pacific and 13th in the Western Conference.