Many people were writing off Rasmus Andersson after he stalled with the Vegas Golden Knights early. The Olympic defenseman had two goals and four assists before March 24 during his Vegas residency, marking a disappointing foray with the Golden Knights. However, something... changed.
We're talking about five goals and four assists since that date, giving Golden Knights fans some hope. Finally! The superstar defender is playing up to his potential. However, there's more to the story than merely putting up points. It's about the ice time that Andersson has gotten.
Only once has Andersson played less than 20 minutes of ice time under John Tortorella, entering Monday. That included 29:03 of total ice time against the Seattle Kraken. When Bruce Cassidy was around? That was the case seven times.
There's something to be said about playing the hot hand when they're doing well. Of course, that was the case when Cassidy trusted Andersson with 25:08 of TOI in March 26's overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers. However, Tortorella has leaned heavily on the Olympian's contributions, using him for numerous offensive set-ups and schemes.
Andersson is showing Vegas Golden Knights fans why they should keep him around—with more ice time
When the Golden Knights acquired Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames, the premise was bringing in a solid puck-moving defenseman to enhance the offense. The problem with Vegas's blue line was that nobody was doing anything offensively. Therefore, you take a home run swing and go for the gullet.
It started off as a slog, where Andersson was ironing out some personal things. Not many points were coming his way, resulting in Bruce Cassidy cutting his time. As a result, the Golden Knights acquisition wasn't getting many minutes. Suddenly, the discourse shifts to whether Kelly McCrimmon overpaid for the Swedish Olympian.
While some people are still clinging to that philosophy (first impressions are everything, you know), Andersson is showing that he deserves to stick around. Part of that is the trust instilled by Tortorella himself. He knows that the Golden Knights' star is capable of carrying the play and helping in transition.
Lo and behold, Andersson has awoken. Now, he's coming hard and is attacking with more viciousness. Part of that also comes from the time put in. With more minutes and opportunities, the Swedish Olympian is settling in nicely, building more confidence, and establishing his game.
That could be the thing that sparks a long-term residency for Andersson. He wanted to come to Las Vegas for over a year, even rejecting an extension with the Flames. Now? He might get his wish, thanks to a system that trusts him.
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