The Vegas Golden Knights have inked defenseman Rasmus Andersson to a seven-year, $59.5 million contract, according to SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Andersson’s contract, which will keep him in Las Vegas through the 2033 season, carries an average annual value of $8.5 million.
There’s a full no-trade clause in Years 1-5 as well as a modified 15-team no-trade list in Years 6-7, according to Puck Pedia.
Andersson became an unrestricted free agent Wednesday morning, though it was widely believed that the two sides had a handshake agreement in place. Now that handshake deal is official.
The Golden Knights traded for Andersson back in January, sending defenseman Zach Whitecloud, 2027 first- and second-round picks and defensive prospect Abram Weibe to the Calgary Flames in exchange for the right-shot defenseman. The second-round pick would have become a first if Vegas had won the Stanley Cup.
Andersson scored seven goals and 17 points while averaging 21:42 in 33 games with Vegas during the regular season, bringing his season total to a career-high 17 goals as well as 47 points in 81 combined games with the Flames and Golden Knights.
Andersson showed flashes of his dynamic two-way ability, particularly when he began to play more aggressively in the latter stages of the regular season, including when he finished the year with five goals and 10 points in his final 11 games. He generated a lot of scoring chances, joined the rush effectively and also took care of business in his own end.
However, his play took a noticeable dip in the playoffs, as the Swede potted zero goals and six assists in 22 postseason games, and he made a number of costly mistakes.
After the season, Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon indicated that he believed Andersson had the potential to be much more effective in a full season with Vegas, especially once he had a chance to fully settle in. Though it wasn’t widely discussed, Andersson lost his friend and agent, Claude Lemieux, during the Golden Knights’ postseason run, which may have contributed to his downturn.
In any case, the Golden Knights gave up a lot to acquire Andersson, and this contract is proof that Vegas is still confident in the 29-year-old’s ability to be a productive and reliable member of the defense corps.
Andersson has 64 goals and 278 points in 617 career NHL games with the Flames and Golden Knights. He was originally drafted by Calgary in the second round (No. 53 overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft.
Photo courtesy of the Golden Knights