The Vegas Golden Knights took a big gamble on Rasmus Andersson before the Olympics. They acquired him from the Calgary Flames, sending over a big haul in return. That included Abram Wiebe, Zach Whitecloud, and a couple of draft picks (one of which is a straight first-round pick).
Already, you have a hefty price tag looming over his head. Considering the Swedish Olympian will be a free agent this summer, he has plenty to play for. Getting a new deal andstaying in your preferred destination are a couple of things that are on his docket.
However, the defenseman suffered a lil' speed bump along the way. Sweden made some interesting lineup shuffles during the Olympics, leading them to eventually be eliminated by the gold medalists, known as the United States. Andersson was caught in the crosshairs, only playing two games before being healthy-scratched.
Is there trouble in paradise with the latest acquisition? Well, that's a bit early to tell. However, there are some elements that Andersson can control, starting with his offensive play. Here's how Andersson can impact the game and help the Golden Knights grab Stanley Cup No. 2.
What fans want to see from Rasmus Andersson after the Olympic break
The Golden Knights defenseman should take that healthy scratch as a slight. He had Olympic aspirations to represent his country, only to have that taken away from him. Imagine if someone took away your ice cream cone that you've been thinking about all day. Wouldn't that be devastating?
With that, Golden Knights fans should hope that he uses that as motivation. How can he do that, you ask? Well, that starts with digging deep into his offensive talents.
Andersson's well-versed in the passing department. He can nail the stretch pass and grow the ice. He can also hit players in the slot, where they can get down and dirty. Name the pass and the Olympian can do it.
That can be useful for numerous players, whether that's Tomas Hertl or Mitch Marner. Hertl can do damage up front and even take a redirection or two. For Marner, he can hop on an odd-man rush or a breakaway, setting up incredible scoring opportunities and beautiful goals.
The message is clear: Andersson must lean heavily on what he does best
The Swedish situation was extremely weird. It was a case of mismanagement and interesting lineup changes, leading to the Nordic country's eventual downfall. Of course, it didn't help that Andersson didn't get a point.
However, the former Calgary Flame can redeem himself and have an explosive post-Olympic showing. If he can tap into his passing talents and be aggressive on the forecheck, that will go a long way in keeping him around for the long term.
After all, he's made his intentions clear on his hockey future. The Golden Knights star is yet another big name that Kelly McCrimmon pulled the trigger on, yet they're playing the wait-and-see game with him regarding his future. What better way to stick around than to get pass-happy and set up some juicy (think Notorious B.I.G.) scoring chances?
Super Nintendo, SEGA Genesis. When he was dead broke, man, he couldn't picture this.