Breaking: The Calgary Flames trade Rasmus Andersson

Darren Dreger reported the Golden Knights have traded for Andersson

Vegas is buying a right-shot defender who plays hard minutes and doesn't blink. Andersson is 29, logs over 24 minutes a night this season, and he's producing offense while doing the heavy lifting.

The timing makes sense, too. Andersson has been at the center of trade chatter for weeks, and Sportsnet recently framed it as feeling like the end of an era in Calgary as the market heats up for top right-shot defensemen.

Here's what jumps off the page, he isn't just a stay-at-home add-on, he's driving results. Andersson has nine goals and 27 points in 43 games, and he's doing it while facing top lines and eating the toughest minutes.

The framework being floated is a true «win-now» swing: Rasmus Andersson to Vegas with 50 percent salary retained, with Calgary getting Zach Whitecloud, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-rounder that upgrades to a first if Vegas wins the Cup this season, plus Abram Wiebe, a defenseman at the University of North Dakota.

If that's the final package, it's a classic contender deal, Vegas pays futures to upgrade the right side immediately, while Calgary comes away with an NHL defender and picks that could turn into a massive haul if the Knights go all the way.

Still, the logic is clear. Calgary has been sitting on a valuable asset with leverage, and Vegas is the kind of team that doesn't wait politely when it smells a Cup window..

For Vegas, it's about sharpening the blue line before the grind gets ugly, and it's exactly the kind of swing they've been willing to take for years.