When the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames, the intent was to get a puck-moving defenseman who could stretch the ice and extend him. It worked a little bit during the regular season, with Andersson notching seven goals and 10 assists with the Golden Knights (33 games).
However, the other contract extension candidate was miles ahead of Andersson. Of course, I'm talking about Pavel Dorofeyev, who led the Golden Knights in goals scored with 37. But the numbers go beyond merely scoring goals. It was how he elevated other units such as the power play.
He set a single-season franchise record for most power play goals this season with 20. Mind you, the previous record holder, Tomas Hertl, set the record a season prior with 14. It's easy to see why Dorofeyev deserves to be a Golden Knight based on that alone.
However, the advanced numbers tell a better story of this case. Even with the rumors surrounding Vegas having a gentlemen's agreement with the defenseman, their money would be better spent on giving the Russian winger a lucrative deal. Here's why.
Why the Vegas Golden Knights must extend Pavel Dorofeyev over Rasmus Andersson
Yes, it looks like the Vegas Golden Knights will extend Rasmus Andersson moving forward. Word on the street is that the contract's done and has been done for a while. However, the advanced statistics show that Dorofeyev is the obvious choice.
Player | Expected Goals | Takeaways | Giveaways | Defensive Zone Giveaways | High Danger xGoals | Corsi | Fenwick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pavel Dorofeyev | 9 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 3.93 | 59% | 58% |
Rasmus Andersson | 3.7 | 3 | 19 | 12 | 2.01 | 39% | 41% |
Take your pick from the various statistics, whether it's the high-danger chances of the shot selection. Dorofeyev was miles ahead of Andersson in nearly every metric. The Russian winger also had 12 goals during the Stanley Cup playoff run. Andersson? He had none.
The Golden Knights saw a young winger emerge as a prime offensive weapon, seeing his sniping go to an extra level. He carried the scoring and even helped the Golden Knights get to the Stanley Cup Final with an elite performance in Game 5 against the Utah Mammoth. Without Dorofeyev? They're eliminated in the first round.
The Golden Knights must invest more into their future, starting with Dorofeyev
Again, it seems likely that both Dorofeyev and Andersson will be extended, with Adin Hill (at least) being jettisoned out of town. The Golden Knights are a team that seems dead-set on keeping the best veterans around for the long haul. After all, it's become a literal destination for the NHL's best players.
However, the Golden Knights should invest in their future and go all-in with Dorofeyev. The Russian winger elevated his game during the Stanley Cup playoffs, leaving Vegas two games shy of its second Stanley Cup. Andersson? He didn't show up in the biggest moments.
That alone should have McCrimmon rethinking his offseason strategy. Why not extend Dorofeyev and take a big swing on a prominent name like Connor Hellebuyck or Dylan Larkin, given the head-coaching? The Golden Knights thrive on running a cutthroat operation and would benefit from making yet another gutsy decision. After all, it worked for them through most of the playoffs with the head coaching choice in March.
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