Ladies and gentlemen, it's finally happening. After being acquired from the Calgary Flames on Sunday, Rasmus Andersson is finally expected to make his Vegas Golden Knights debut on Friday.
Expectation is Rasmus Andersson will make his #VegasBorn debut tonight in Toronto against the Maple Leafs.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) January 23, 2026
Yep, dear reader. It's finally happening. Make what you will of the visa problems. But Andersson's Golden Knights debut adds another layer of suspense to Friday's gargantuan matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Suddenly, the stakes are raised for the matchup in Toronto.
Imagine being a Golden Knights fan and reading the headlines from David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period. Imagine feeling like it's Christmas a month later.
It's good to be the king.
Obviously, all the attention will fall on Mitch Marner making his return to Toronto. You can expect Maple Leafs fans to boo him like a scorned ex, giving him all the hatred and displeasure that they can muster from their Tim Horton's-filled bodies.
But the Swedish defenseman can help Marner fend off his scorned lovers on Friday. In fact, he can fly under the radar and deliver a big ol' "W" for the Golden Knights at ScotiaBank Arena. Here's how the newest acquisition can help his new teammate find his inner peace in Toronto.
Rasmus Andersson must lean on his teammates—and his talents—to help the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Toronto Maple Leafs
One thing that Andersson excels at is the stretch pass. He can catch a teammate going on the weak side and hit him up for a juicy scoring opportunity, catching opposing defenses off-balance. It's part of the puck-handling abilities that Kelly McCrimmon talked about with the defenseman, which is one of his strongest points.
It's also what made Alex Pietrangelo exceptional. The two-time Stanley Cup winner excelled in this department, creating incredible scoring opportunities for players like Jack Eichel and Mark Stone. Watch for Andersson to do the same, especially if the Maple Leafs try to go with the dump-and-chase game.
But also look for him to attack in the offensive zone. As previously mentioned, Andersson is also good at setting up prime scoring opportunities through rebounds and redirections, especially on the power play. That should come in handy for the Golden Knights, especially if they attack harder in the third period.
As mentioned, relying on key players such as Tomas Hertl and Mark Stone will help here. Both players are big and can carry the workload in the slot. You can also rely on superstars like Jack Eichel along the boards. No matter what, Andersson must rely on his array of options to get the best scoring opportunities possible.
The bulk of the attention will be on a certain Markham native returning to ScotiaBank Arena for the first time. Everyone will be focused on the booing and the hob-nobbing with former teammates. But the attention should also be focused on the Swedish defenseman making his Golden Knights debut.
After all, he's another big piece in the Kelly McCrimmon pie. Everyone will wonder how he'll function in Bruce Cassidy's offensive structure. Who knows? He could give a staredown to an unfortunate Maple Leafs fan who booed Mitch Marner earlier. Wouldn't that be karmaic justice?