Following the unlucky news that Alex Pietrangelo can be stepping back from hockey to take care of multiple injuries, there may be a hole on the Vegas Golden Knights’ blue line. And it looks like Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson desires to fill it.
Andersson and the Flames remain far apart in contract talks, and as The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported on Monday, the Knights are his preferred landing spot in a possible trade.
“The 2026 unrestricted free agent’s hammer is that he controls which team he could be enthusiastic about extending with as a part of a trade-and-sign scenario. And as of Monday, the team that tops his list, league sources told The Athletic, is the Vegas Golden Knights,” wrote LeBrun in his latest NHL rumblings.
“This explains why Vegas and Calgary have had quite a few discussions over the past week, but still no trade has been made, because the Flames haven’t yet been enthusiastic about what the Golden Knights have placed on the table. It is sensible that the Flames consider they need to get more in a trade if Andersson is signed to an extension as a part of it (he’s got yet another yr on his deal).
“Nonetheless, Andersson appears to be a little bit picky about where he would sign, which is his right, as he could be forgoing a likelihood at unrestricted free agency 12 months from now. Straight away, it feels like it’s Vegas for him.”
Despite significant interest, Rasmus Andersson prefers Golden Knights
Together with the Golden Knights, the right-shot top-four defenseman has also been linked to the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets and Los Angeles Kings. But since Andersson wasn’t willing to debate a possible extension with any of those teams, a trade didn’t materialize.
The Swedish veteran currently has a modified no-trade clause, so he does have some say in where he’ll find yourself — if that is what the resolution finally ends up being. As LeBrun reported, “there stays a likelihood that Flames general manager Craig Conroy will keep Andersson and have him start next season in Calgary, specializing in the trade deadline in March as a greater time to maneuver him.”
That being said, the Flames want to attract one other top-four defenseman in free agency on Tuesday to potentially replace him. If that happens, they may circle back to Vegas in Andersson trade talks, per LeBrun.
Calgary re-signed Joel Hanley to a two-year contract extension on Tuesday, taking one in all their veteran blue liners off of the market, the team announced.
The main focus in Alberta stays on Andersson, and if he agrees to an extension as a part of a trade, he might be joining Mitch Marner and the Golden Knights ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
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