The Bruins fell short in their pursuit of this star trade target.
The Boston Bruins have officially missed out on their top trade target.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the Vegas Golden Knights are acquiring star defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that the Golden Knights will be sending blueliner Zach Whitecloud, a 2027 first-round pick, a conditional 2027 second-round pick, and defenseman Abram Wiebe to the Flames for Andersson. Friedman also shared that the Flames are retaining half of Andersson's salary.
The Bruins were heavily linked to Andersson over the last few days and were even given permission by the Flames to have contract extension talks with the right-shot blueliner. However, they have now officially fallen short in their pursuit of Andersson, as he is heading to Vegas.
During the latest episode of Saturday Headlines, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that the Bruins' interest in completing a trade for Andersson was based on whether he was willing to sign a contract extension with the Black and Gold.
Now, after missing out on Andersson, the Bruins will need to explore their options elsewhere. Adding another right-shot defenseman should be one of their biggest priorities. However, unfortunately for the Bruins, it seems unlikely that a right-shot defenseman of Andersson's caliber will become available leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
Seeing the Golden Knights land Andersson is certainly a tough blow for the Bruins, but also not necessarily unexpected. They had been linked to Andersson like Boston, and they are never afraid of making a big move.