A Rasmus Andersson Extension Incoming with Vegas
The Calgary Flames traded defenseman Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, receiving Zach Whitecloud, a first-round pick, a conditional second-round pick that may turn into a primary, and Abram Wiebe.
That is the second time the Golden Knights and Flames have been trade partners, each involving a defenseman. Remember, Noah Hanifin was traded a few seasons ago from the Flames to the Golden Knights. Just like Hanifin, Andersson was traded without an extension. But that could be a risk value taking for the Golden Knights.
Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon joined NHL Morning Skate on SiriusXM NHL Network with Gord Stellick and Mike Johnson on Wednesday and was asked about re-signing defenseman Rasmus Andersson after trading for him on Sunday.
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NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Mike Johnson: “Now, Kelly (McCrimmon), Rasmus (Andersson) was pretty clear about where he desired to go and where he was willing to sign an extension. There is no such thing as a extension announced. How does that conversation occur with you guys? Before the trade, now after the trade, how do you proceed down that road in the event you’re going to?”
Kelly McCrimmon: “Yeah, one in all the things that gave us a bonus, Mike, was that we were comfortable doing it without an extension. We did similarly with Noah Hanifin, where we were in a position to get him under contract. So I assume we take a bit little bit of risk on by doing it that way.
We’re confident that we’ll give you the option to make a great impression on Rasmus, but not only with our city or facilities and what they must offer. But I believe the opposite thing that sometimes gets ignored a bit bit is, players wish to win, and so they wish to be in a corporation where there’s commitment to doing that. And we actually have been in a position to do this our entire existence. So I believe we expect that that’s going to be really necessary to Rasmus as well.”
The query stays: when will Rasmus Andersson extend in Vegas? Everyone knows he desired to go there. His agent, Claude Lemieux, likes to play hardball and played a job on this trade. Nonetheless, it was 35 days before Hanifin was traded to Vegas and when he prolonged. The expectation is that Rasmus Andersson will re-sign in Vegas.
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Nonetheless, will or not it’s for the reported seven-year, $63 million ($9 million AAV) deal he was getting from the Boston Bruins, or will or not it’s less within the $7 million – $8 million range on a seven or eight-year deal?
The expectation is that McCrimmon will get it done.
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