Rumors are a wild thing in the NHL industry. You hear all sorts of things from different sources on X, whether it's troll accounts or Frank Seravalli. But it seems that there's some light at the end of the tunnel regarding a certain Vegas Golden Knights defenseman: Rasmus Andersson.
Darren Dreger spoke about this on Barn Burner and highlighted Andersson's current situation. His report states that a "handshake agreement" was in place, indicating that Andersson wasn't going anywhere.
"The assumption was by other managers...other agents...the belief is there was at least a handshake agreement that there would be something and is something done."Darren Dreger
Mind you, the rumor has been that Andersson was expected to get a deal roughly worth $8.5 million AAV. That didn't sit well with many Golden Knights fans, who were unimpressed by the Swedish Olympian's Vegas residency. Still, it seems that an Andersson deal is imminent, filling up the Golden Knights' blue line.
Is it worth giving him another shot in Las Vegas? Well, some factors can help Andersson's case. For one, a new head coach makes his way to town (sort of). Ryan Craig will take the reins and give the former Flames star another shot at redeeming himself.
That also means that he's going to get more scoring opportunities to set up. Look at last season's campaign as an example, where players such as Trevor Connelly (35 assists), Matyas Sapovaliv (17 assists), and Tanner Laczynski (42 assists) thrived in his system.
The Vegas Golden Knights need something else to ensure that Andersson thrives with a looming agreement
When the Vegas Golden Knights traded Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers, the Golden Knights also traded their top goal-scorer. Gone were 37 goals during the regular season, leaving Vegas without a primary shooter.
That will be a major focus during the next season, leaving fans to wonder who will shoot the puck. You can't have a gazillion passes flying through the offensive zone. Otherwise, fans will come after you with torches and pitchforks while calling for your head.
That's why it's imperative that the Golden Knights get one more good shooter. That way, it eases the pressure off of Andersson and Jack Eichel. You don't want to be reminded of a stagnant power play with no shots on goal being generated.
If Andersson can get some help here, that'll go a long way in helping his next residency go smoother. Perhaps it'll help turn the general consensus around on the Swedish Olympian, making him feel more welcome in the second go-round.
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