Mitch Marner joining the Vegas Golden Knights has ushered in a new era for the team. Now, you have Jack Eichel and Marner skating up and down the ice, causing endless nightmares for opposing teams. Add a bona fide scorer like Pavel Dorofeyev with the duo and you're cooking with gasoline.
It's already causing headaches for the neighbors up north, leaving fans in Toronto crying a river of tears. The conspiracies surrounding alleged tampering when Kelly McCrimmon follows the rules to the tip makes fans want to scream "bloody murder." If you think not winning a Stanley Cup since 1967 hurts, just wait until not keeping one of the best wingers around will do for you.
While the speculation circling Marner is finally over, he's not the only name that wanted to come to Sin City. Believe it or not, a Calgary Flames defenseman didn't want to join the Los Angeles Kings despite Ken Holland's overwhelming generosity.
I know what you're thinking:
"Why did he turn down Los Angeles when they're building a special movie in Hollywood? That doesn't make sense."
Well, dear reader, it's because Vegas has become a premier hockey destination. This defenseman wants in on the fun.
Rasmus Andersson wants a contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights
If you thought the Vegas Golden Knights were done pissing off the hockey world after acquiring Mitch Marner, well, I got some bad news for you.
That's right. Rasmus Andersson wants to also come to Las Vegas. Currently, he carries a cap hit of $4.55 million, leaving people to wonder if Kelly McCrimmon will pull off a shrewd move. Sure, he has a six-team no-trade list. But does that really matter when Andersson says he only wants to sign a contract extension with Vegas?
Pierre LeBrun thinks that's the case, stating this on TSN on Monday. Suddenly, people thinking that the Golden Knights weren't an attractive destination because of a lack of loyalty goes out the window. Now, premier players like Andersson want in on the fun, seeing the franchise's overwhelming success since "Day F****** One" (Rhymes Like Dimes!).
That's great for a shot-blocking blue liner who can also contribute on the attack. Say it with me, class.
He's a two-way player.
Is there room for Andersson to come onto the Vegas Golden Knights?
Personally, it'll be tougher than people realize when you consider a couple of things. First, there's the proverbial elephant in the room in Jack Eichel. You must pay your superstar center roughly the same amount (or more) as Mitch Marner. Even with the salary cap going up to $104 million in 2026-27, that's not an easy task.
That's especially true when you factor in Pavel Dorofeyev's impending deal to the mix. The Russian winger had a breakout season in 2024-25, scoring 35 goals with the Golden Knights. Don't expect him to be satisfied with his $1.835 million salary and take a slight pay bump when he becomes a restricted free agent.
As for trading players like Mark Stone and William Karlsson? Even after this season, those moves would remain tall tasks. The Captain has a full no-move clause, while Karlsson has a 10 no-team trade list to work with. Management has also spoken glowingly about both players in the past year, indicating they should stick around for another year.
Still, you can never count out Kelly McCrimmon and his salary cap gymnastics. He's proven that he can fit the best players in the league under one roof. It didn't matter if it was a loophole he could exploit or a maneuver that was allowed by the NHL. He might be crazy enough to make the Swedish defenseman work in the long term.