Rasmus Andersson, D
Despite his up and down play with the Vegas Golden Knights in the postseason, defenseman Rasmus Andersson should still be one of the most expensive unrestricted free agents in this cycle this offseason.
There was a point in time when there were rumors linking the Kings to Andersson on the trade block in this past couple of years. Nothing came to fruition, and the Kings didn't appeal much to Andersson last year.
Andersson was traded from the Calgary Flames in the Pacific Division to the Golden Knights this past regular season.
After the Golden Knights handed a lengthy six-year contract deal to defenseman Jeremy Lauzon early this week, it became pretty clear that Vegas wasn't planning on freeing up cap space for Andersson.
Andersson struggled to produce on both sides of the ice for the Golden Knights after he was traded from the Flames this past January. He eventually settled into his role with the Golden Knights down the stretch this past regular season, but his impact on special teams on the power play and on the defensive side of the ice were still limited in the postseason.
Even if the Kings needed a top-pairing defenseman like Andersson this offseason, they don't have the cap flexibility to make a realistic offer to him this week. Andersson will definitely command top-pairing money in his next contract deal this offseason.
Unless it's the right fit for a top-flight pairing with young defenseman Brandt Clarke, I don't think it's worth the Kings spending the amount of money it would take to get Andersson to Los Angeles this summer.
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