Defensive dominance has stood out as the defining trait of the Golden Knights ever since coach Bruce Cassidy arrived four seasons ago.

Many expected that identity to shift this year with the semi-retirement of longtime blue-line captain Alex Pietrangelo, but those forecasts couldn’t have turned out more incorrect, now three months into the season. Vegas has instead doubled or even tripled down on the belief that defense can be the difference to carry it to a second Stanley Cup.

The franchise made its latest major trade on January 18, snagging proven veteran Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames in exchange for a pair of draft picks and defenseman Zach Whitecloud.

Andersson is expected make his Golden Knights’ home debut on January 29 at T-Mobile Arena against the Dallas Stars.

“The move for Andersson again puts us in a position where our defense is a real strength and one of the better ones in the NHL,” Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said at a news conference the day after the acquisition.

That was arguably already the case in a season where the Golden Knights have spent the majority of the year atop the Pacific Division. Defense had been the most consistent part of the team’s success even without Andersson.

The offense has leveled up to outstanding if not unstoppable during a couple stretches, but it’s also fizzled at times, including a recent stretch where they lost eight of nine games.

Goaltending has been an issue as the Golden Knights have dropped near the bottom of the league in most advanced metrics at the position, with now-healthy starter Adin Hill having missed the majority of the season. Andersson’s arrival could help mask that weakness even if it takes Hill weeks to fully settle back into his role as Cassidy has suggested. The 29-year-old’s statistical marks have dropped in the last two seasons in Calgary, but any concern comes with a major asterisk.

The Flames have been one of the worst teams in the league, so Andersson hasn’t gotten the benefit of much talent around him—especially since the similar Calgary-to-Vegas trade of former pairing partner Noah Hanifin in 2024. Andersson also has been tasked with a team-high ice time, predominantly logging minutes against opponents’ top lines.

All those factors contribute to the Golden Knights’ internal metrics painting Andersson as much more of an impact player than the conventional, publicly-available statistics.

“I think Rasmus Andersson can do (everything) defensively,” McCrimmon said. “His quality of competition, which the analytics measure, he’s always been in the top 10 or 15 (defensemen.)”

If that proves true, the Golden Knights may now have the luxury of rostering three players who belong in that elite group when playing at their best.

Shea Theodore has stepped into Pietrangelo’s role as the top defenseman admirably, and Hanifin gives the Golden Knights another player capable of holding down that type of workload.

The concern might be Theodore, Hanifin and Andersson are similar in that they’re more known for their offense. None of them are lockdown defenders. 

But McCrimmon still sees the trio as complementary because of their specific styles. He graded Theodore as one of best passers in the NHL, someone who’s capable of creating rush chances on that skill alone.

Skating is Hanifin’s strength, as he’s a defenseman more liable to carry the puck into the offensive zone on his own.

Andersson is a happy medium and can do “a little bit of both,” according to McCrimmon.

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

“We want to be a good defensive team, and I think he’s going to fit in well in that area. It’s a good addition.”

Hanifin and Andersson are likely to reunite from their days in Calgary and play together as a pair in the latter’s early days in Vegas. But Cassidy will also have the tantalizing option of spreading out Theodore, Hanifin and Andersson to ensure having one of them on the ice at all times.

It will take time to settle on the best setup in time for what the team hopes is a long playoff run, but it’s a puzzle Cassidy is excited to solve. He’s always preferred to build his teams through defensemen, and the trade for Andersson shows the Golden Knights’ front office remains aligned with that vision.

Andersson, who’s on an expiring contract and will require an extension to stay in Vegas beyond this year, has been linked to the Golden Knights since the offseason. His acquisition is therefore no surprise other than the fact that Vegas appeared to have more pressing needs elsewhere.

But the Golden Knights felt they still had a hole on defense, even if it was a minor one, and prioritizing it fits with the established culture.

“When you go back to where we were heading into the offseason, where we knew we were going to be losing Alex Pietrangelo, we had a comfort in that we still liked our defense,” McCrimmon said. “And yet, there’s certain elements that Petro brought to a team that are pretty unique. This player is different than Alex Pietrangelo, but he does bring some of that playmaking ability… When you get to playing really tough opponents, you need some playmakers and I think that we’ve added one with Rasmus Andersson.”

This story originally appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.