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Golden Knights acquire Rasmus Andersson from Flames in trade

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Mark Hebert | Last updated Jan 18, 2026 8:42 PM ET

The Golden Knights acquired defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames on Sunday in exchange for defenseman Zach Whitecloud, prospect Abram Wiebe, a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft, according to the team. Calgary will retain 50% of Andersson’s salary for the remainder of the 2025-26 season as part of the deal.

Andersson, 29, has played in all 48 games this season and produced 30 points on 10 goals and 20 assists with a plus-3 rating. He also averages 24:14 of ice time, the highest mark among Flames skaters, per the team.

Everybody give it up 4⃣ Rasmus Andersson

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— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) January 19, 2026

The price: Whitecloud, a prospect and conditional picks

Vegas sent defenseman Zach Whitecloud, prospect Abram Wiebe, a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft to Calgary, according to the team.

It is a significant package, but the Knights add a proven, high-minute defenseman in return. As a result, Vegas upgrades its back end with a right-shot option who has logged top-pair usage.

Production you can bank on

Andersson’s 30 points lead Calgary defensemen, according to the team. His 10 goals are tied for eighth among NHL defensemen this season.

Durability is part of the profile, too. Andersson has played at least 78 games in each of the past four seasons and appeared in all 82 contests in 2021-22, when he posted a career-high 50 points and a plus-30 rating.

Olympic nod, recent captaincy for Sweden

Internationally, Andersson was named to Sweden’s roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, according to the team. He also captained Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Championship and helped the Swedes earn bronze.

Vegas goes international in February

Vegas will have eight players headed to Milano Cortina 2026. Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin were named to the United States roster, while Mitch Marner, Mark Stone and Shea Theodore were named to Canada. Tomas Hertl will represent Czechia, Akira Schmid will play for Switzerland and Andersson was named to Sweden’s roster, according to team and national announcements. The U.S. opens Feb. 12 against Latvia, while Canada opens Feb. 12 against Czechia in group play, according to NHL.com.