Should the Golden Knights flip Rasmus Andersson at the trade deadline? Arguments for and against the bold move

Rasmus Andersson was supposed to be the splash move for the Golden Knights this season. Whether it happened at the trade deadline or earlier (as it ultimately did), the Swedish defenseman had been rumored to be in Vegas' sights since the summertime, with him allegedly blocking trades elsewhere.

But now, a month into his tenure with the team, the Golden Knights find themselves struggling with inconsistency and continuing most of the same issues that've plagued them the entire season. Andersson himself hasn't been terribly impressive, and still hasn't been extended, which begs the bold question: should the Golden Knights flip him today at the trade deadline?

The arguments in favor

Believe it or not, there's some rationale for this. On a grander, not-specific-to-Vegas scale, the days prior to the deadline are proving that it's a sellers' market this year. I mean, look at what Winnipeg got for Luke Schenn and Logan Stanley of all players. If Vegas were so inclined, they could potentially get as much if not more than what they originally paid in exchange for Andersson, and in turn, flip those picks or prospects in future transactions.

More specific to the team, Andersson hasn't felt like a great fit at times. Much of his past production in Calgary came on the power play. However, with Vegas preferring to run a five-forward first PP unit much of this season, Andersson's only recently joined the second unit alongside Shea Theodore, replacing his own partner in Noah Hanifin. That lack of available power-play time has severely diminished his scoring, as he'd recorded just one goal and four points in twelve games with Vegas prior to posting two assists against Detroit. To add insult to injury, the goal was virtually meaningless, coming late in a disastrous loss to the Ottawa Senators.

Furthermore, with Andersson on the ice, Vegas' Corsi and Fenwick scores are basically dead-even if not slightly negative, which doesn't exactly scream "difference-maker" in the way you'd hope such a high-cost (both trade and possible extension) defenseman would be.

The counter-arguments

Now, of course, with a take as controversial as this, there will be definitive counters. First of all, to be blunt, the team as a whole has sucked most of the time that Andersson's been here. Prior to the Detroit comeback, Vegas had won only three of their past eleven games, including some absolute stinkers along the way. While Andersson's been part of that, it feels unfair to judge him individually when seemingly every part of the team is out of whack; the offense is hot and cold, the defense has been mistake-prone, and the goaltending... let's not talk about that.

Second, keep in mind he's played only 13 games for this team. There's an adjustment period for basically every trade acquisition on every team, and Andersson's only barely into his. It'd be rash for Vegas to move on from him so soon without continuing to let him get acclimated to things. I, for one, remember people criticizing Alex Pietrangelo for average to sub-par play his first season here, and look how that turned out.

Finally, there's his existing chemistry with Noah Hanifin. While the reunited former Calgary tandem have gotten off to a slow start in Vegas, they were pretty, pretty good together in Alberta. This is the first time they've played on the same pairing in roughly two seasons, so give them some grace while they rebuild that chemistry.

Insane or not, we'll see what Vegas does at the deadline today. Here's to hoping Kelly McCrimmon has one more surprise cooked up for us, Andersson or not.