The NHL.com Fantasy team continues to cover the latest league trends and storylines through the lens of NHL EDGE Puck and player tracking statistics. Today we look at the Vegas Golden Knights’ prospects after acquiring defenseman Rasmus Andersson.
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The Vegas Golden Knights acquired a defenseman Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames on Sunday, and his comprehensive advanced stats should only strengthen their progress toward the Stanley Cup championship.
The 29-year-old, who can become an unrestricted free agent after this season, ranked among leading defensemen in goals (10; tied for eighth), shots on goal (112; tied for ninth) and power play goals (four; tied for fifth) at the time of the trade. Andersson was having a rebound season in terms of points (30 in 48 games; tied for 20th) at the time of the trade after having just 31 in 81 games last season.
At the time of the trade, Andersson was averaging a career-high 0.63 points per game this season; He has also had strong offensive seasons in the past, with his highest total being 50 points in 82 games during the 2021-22 season (0.61 per game) and 49 points in 79 games (0.62) during the 2022-23 season.
Andersson, who was averaging 24:14 per game (16th in the entire NHL) this season at the time of the trade, reunites with his former teammate and fellow defenseman Noah Hanifinwhich was acquired by Vegas from Calgary on March 6, 2024; the two frequently played on the same defensive pairing with the Flames and could find themselves on the same unit again in Vegas.
Before the Andersson trade, Hanifin was second on the Golden Knights in average ice time (23:42 per game), behind Shea Théodore (11:48 p.m.). Vegas, deprived of a veteran defender Alex Pietrangelo (hip injury) all season and may not have him back for the playoffs, is now equipped for another run at the Stanley Cup (won his first title in 2023).
Here are three underlying reasons why Andersson could boost the Golden Knights’ championship hopes:
