‘He’s a gamer’: Knights defenseman eager to reunite with Rasmus Andersson

BOSTON — If there’s one person who knows what kind of player the Vegas Golden Knights are getting in Rasmus Andersson, it’s Noah Hanifin.

The two defensemen played parts of five years together as a pairing with the Calgary Flames and were an efficient duo.

They will be reunited in Las Vegas when Andersson’s immigration processes and he can join the Knights as a result of Sunday’s blockbuster trade with Calgary.

“Just a great teammate, a great guy,” Hanifin said. “I think he’s going to fit in really well here. He’s a great hockey player.”

Hanifin said he spoke with Andersson for about 20 minutes after the trade.

There’s the obvious excitement with teammates reuniting, but Hanifin knows the kind of puck mover that Andersson is.

“He can bring a lot of offense,” Hanifin said. “I think with the way we play, with the assets we have up front, the forwards and the skill we have, I think getting a guy like him who can move the puck and distribute it well will be beneficial for our team.”

Hanifin and Andersson were one of the NHL’s best blue line duos from 2021-22 through 2023-24 — the last season they played together before Hanifin was traded to the Knights.

They were on the ice for 126 goals and gave up 96, according to Natural Stat Trick. Hanifin was a plus-27 in 2022, while Andersson was a career-best plus-30.

The defensive metrics gradually declined the next year-and-a-half, but the offense was still proficient.

It won’t be too difficult to get Andersson up to speed. Calgary plays a similar zone-style defense as the Knights. That’s what allowed Hanifin to get up to speed as quickly as he did.

“I think coming from a similar system, I think it’s really helpful,” Hanifin said. “He’s a smart player. I’m sure he’s going to get on board quick with the way we play. We’re getting him for a reason, so hopefully he can go out and do his thing.”

It’s expected Hanifin and Andersson will skate together when Andersson joins the team, though it’s not likely to be Thursday against the Boston Bruins as he awaits his immigration to process.

Previous trades normally involve players from Canada and the United States. Andersson, however, is a native of Sweden coming from Canada.

One benefit is the Knights are integrating Andersson into the fold well before the trade deadline. There are nine games left before the Winter Olympics break.

There’s time to get Andersson acclimated as opposed to the March 6 trade deadline.

“He’s a gamer. He’s always engaged. He’s competitive,” Hanifin said. “I’d say he’s more of a puck mover, offensive guy, but he defends hard and plays the game hard. It’s a good addition.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.