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Trade Grades: Vegas Does It Again, Lands Rasmus Andersson

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Jackson Weber | Last updated Jan 19, 2026 2:43 AM ET

After weeks of intense rumors and speculation, Rasmus Andersson has finally found a new home—and it’s where we probably all should have expected him to end up: Las Vegas.

Buzz around Andersson to the Golden Knights was loud this summer, and despite their lack of assets and cap space, GM Kelly McCrimmon didn’t stop until he got his guy.

The official return sees Zach Whitecloud, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick (which can become a 2028 first if Vegas wins the Cup), and prospect Abram Wiebe sent to Calgary for Andersson at 50% retention, with no extension in place.

It’s yet another big-name sweepstakes that ends with Vegas on top. That said, they paid a relatively steep price to do it, so how did each side fare in this pre-Olympic roster-freeze blockbuster? Let’s dive into some trade grades!

Vegas Golden Knights: A-

There’s no doubt McCrimmon had to pony up to get this deal across the finish line, but given that the Golden Knights are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders now and will be for years to come, it should be well worth the cost.

From Mark Stone to Alex Pietrangelo to Jack Eichel to Noah Hanifin to Tomas Hertl to Mitch Marner—and now Andersson—Vegas consistently swoops in to land the top available player on the market. It’s been far from a perfect 2025–26 season thus far, yet they’re in the driver’s seat to win the Pacific Division, so of course, they’re once again going all in.

Pietrangelo’s injuries have left a big hole on the right side of the blue line, and Andersson has always made sense to fill it—potentially pairing with his former teammate in Hanifin. At his best, Andersson can pretty much do it all, providing offense while playing a gritty in-your-face style that’s perfect for the postseason, which Vegas is certainly expected to make.

It didn’t come cheap, and it’s never easy just to flip first-round draft picks away like they’re nothing. But when you’re the Golden Knights—consistently contending for the Stanley Cup and signing top free agents—you’re well-positioned to make moves like this. The only thing holding it back from being an A is the lack of an extension, though Andersson has always had his sights set on Vegas, so if anything him leaving at season’s end would be the more surprising outcome.

Calgary Flames: B+

The Flames knew they were trading Andersson for quite some time now, but did they ultimately get enough in return? On the surface, it looks like GM Craig Conroy landed a haul —and he certainly did do well here as Calgary continues its rebuild.

That said, this package doesn’t necessarily offer much upside, leaving some fans underwhelmed. Whitecloud, 29, is a steady bottom-pair defenseman, while Weibe was a seventh-round pick in 2022, though he has been productive at North Dakota. The meat of the return, however, is the 2027 first and 2028 second, which could become a first.

First- and second-round picks are exactly the type of assets Calgary needs right now, so good on Conroy for accumulating two of them for his pending UFA he knew wasn’t re-signing. The only risk is that Vegas will likely go deep in the playoffs, which could push it to be a lower first-round selection, decreasing its value.

You can’t nitpick too much given the circumstances the Flames faced with Andersson, so all in all, it’s a solid return—but just maybe not one they’ll be writing home about years from now, when they hope to be on the other side of this rebuild.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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