The Vegas Golden Knights were off on Tuesday. On Wednesday, they’ll travel to Boston to kick off a four-game road trip against Atlantic Division teams.
They currently sit at first in the Pacific Division with a 24-12-12 record and 60 points in 48 games.
| Team | Games Played | Record | Points |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 48 | 24-12-12 | 60 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 50 | 25-17-8 | 58 |
| San Jose Sharks | 48 | 25-20-3 | 53 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 49 | 25-21-3 | 53 |
| Seattle Kraken | 48 | 21-18-9 | 51 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 48 | 19-16-13 | 51 |
| Calgary Flames | 49 | 21-23-5 | 47 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 49 | 16-28-5 | 37 |
The Edmonton Oilers are second in the Division with 58 points, and could tie the VGK with a win Tuesday night. However, the Golden Knights have two games in hand, so they hold the tiebreaker.
Rasmus Andersson
The Golden Knights acquired Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames on Sunday. Andersson, a 29-year-old defenseman on an expiring contract, has been on their radar for quite some time. He’s a talented puckmover who can help fill the Alex Pietrangelo-shaped void on their blue line.
Defenseman Zach Whitecloud goes back the other way, as well as a first-round pick in 2027 and a conditional second in 2028. They lose some size and snarl in Whitecloud, but Andersson brings a unique set of skills. Here are my grades for the trade.
Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon spoke with the media on Monday. He explained the trade, highlighted Andersson’s strengths, and thanked Zach Whitecloud for all he gave to the organization.
Andersson didn’t play in Monday’s 2-1 loss against the Philadelphia Flyers. Because he’s coming from a Canadian team to an American one, he needs a visa.
“We are working through his immigration right now,” said GM Kelly McCrimmon on Monday. “Until we have that clarified, we won’t know exactly when his first game will be with our team.”
Canadian teams trade players to American teams all the time. Typically, the visas take less than a week to process, so it’s possible that Andersson could play on Thursday against Boston. If Andersson’s visa hasn’t been processed by then, Jaycob Megna will likely remain in the lineup.
Injury Updates
On Tuesday, the Golden Knights placed forward Brett Howden on Injured Reserve. In a corresponding move, they recalled Jonas Røndbjerg from AHL Henderson. He’ll travel with the team for their four-game road trip.
In addition to Howden, Brayden McNabb, Colton Sissons, Brandon Saad, William Karlsson, and Carter Hart are out of the lineup. When he met with the media on Monday, GM Kelly McCrimmon provided an update on all six of the injured players.
“It’s unlikely any of those players play before the Olympic break,” McCrimmon said. “We’ll monitor that more closely as we get to the end of the break. They’ll rehab here in Las Vegas over the course of the Olympics, and we’ll see where everything lies when they return.”
