The Vegas Golden Knights are reportedly in the mix for Calgary Flames right-handed defenseman Rasmus Andersson.
A report shared by Pierre LeBrun earlier this week indicated that Andersson would be willing to sign a contract extension with the Golden Knights, as he's been very picky, and rightfully so, about where he wants to end up. Andersson has a six-team no-trade clause, which gives the Flames plenty of options, but teams have been reluctant to agree to trades due to the uncertainty of contract negotiations with Andersson.
LeBrun mentioned that the Golden Knights and the Flames have had numerous discussions over the past week, but the Flames haven't been impressed by the Golden Knights' offers. Including the Golden Knights, LeBrun mentioned the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Los Angeles Kings as other teams with interest.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the Dallas Stars are also interested in the 28-year-old, but would need to move Ilya Lyubushkin and Matt Dumba.
Pagnotta also mentioned that Vegas has been shopping veteran defenseman Ben Hutton and his $975,000 cap hit. The 32-year-old played in just 11 games this season, serving as the eighth defenseman.
With Alex Pietrangelo's hip injury and Nicolas Hague's exit, Hutton has moved into the role of the seventh defenseman, but if Andersson is brought in, he'd move down the depth chart again.
Andersson fits the role of a modern-day defenseman. His 6-foot-1 frame mixed with his skating and offensive instincts make him an effective two-way defenseman. The Malmö, SWE native has a career-high of 11 goals and 50 points.
Andersson would also join the Golden Knights with chemistry with another former Flames defenseman, Noah Hanifin. The pair were outstanding playing together, recording positive results whenever they played together. Hanifin has had troubles with consistency during his time with Vegas, and adding Andersson to the fold could solve that issue.
The Golden Knights would be over the salary cap if they acquired Andersson, even with Pietrangelo's cap hit on the long-term injury reserve. The Golden Knights would have to clear cap space either in the Andersson trade or in a separate deal.
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REPORT: Golden Knights Interested In Trading For A Pair Of DefensemenThe Vegas Golden Knights are reportedly interested in trading for defensemen Rasmus Andersson and Bowen Byram.
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