Flames trade defenceman Andersson to Golden Knights for Whitecloud, draft picks

By Canadian Press on January 18, 2026.

CALGARY — The Calgary Flames have traded veteran defenceman Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights for defenceman Zach Whitecloud, defensive prospect Abram Wiebe, a first-round draft pick in 2027 and a conditional second-round pick in 2028 that becomes a first-rounder should Vegas win the Stanley Cup this year.

The Flames announced the deal Sunday.

The 28-year-old Andersson from Malmo, Sweden, has spent his entire NHL career with the Flames, who drafted him 53rd overall in 2015.

Andersson is in the final year of a six-year contract with an average annual value of US$4.55 million.

He has 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) and was plus-3 in 48 games this season, while averaging a team-leading 24 minutes 14 seconds of ice time per game.

Calgary (21-23-4) was five points out of a Western Conference wild-card playoff spot Sunday.

Whitecloud won a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023 when he played all 22 post-season games and contributed two goals and six assists.

The 29-year-old from Brandon, Man., has spent his entire NHL career with Vegas and amassed 23 goals and 55 assists in 368 games.

Whitecloud is in the fourth season of a six-year contract with an annual average value of US$2.75 million.

The six-foot-two, 210-pound defenceman played recent games on the Knights’ top pairing with Noah Hanifin.

Whitecloud has two goals and five assists in 47 games, while averaging 18 minutes 46 seconds per game this season

Andersson was a consistent top-four defenceman throughout his career as a Flame. He had 261 points (57-204) over 584 career regular-season games.

The six-foot-one 202-pound defenceman was named to Sweden’s roster for the Milan Cortina Olympics next month. He played three games in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament last February.

Wiebe, from Mission, B.C., is in his third season at the University of North Dakota.

The seventh-round pick by Vegas in 2022 has three goals and 11 assists in 24 games this season. He’s six-foot-three and 203 pounds.