Golden Knights free agency begins with pair of contract extensions
Derek Hegna
Host · Writer
The worst-kept secret surrounding the Vegas Golden Knights is finally official, and another move keeping Vegas connected to its inaugural season has been made as well.
On Wednesday, the Golden Knights started the new league year by locking down a couple of their own players, extending defenseman Rasmus Andersson and forward Jonas Rondbjerg.
Andersson’s new contract keeps him in Vegas for seven years with an annual cap hit of $8.5 million, while Rondbjerg has a one-year, two-way pact worth $850,000 at the NHL level and $400,000 at the AHL level.
Traded to Vegas on Jan. 18, Andersson established himself as a top-four option on defense early. He would play 33 regular season games for the Golden Knights, recording seven goals and 17 points, as well as putting up six points in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
While Andersson was somewhat inconsistent, his stint in Vegas was par for the course of what was a whirlwind season for the team involving a coaching change and a mad dash to securing a Pacific Division title. A full offseason program with the Golden Knights should help him get further acclimated with the team, and the loss of Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers presents an opportunity on the power play moving forward. Between the extensions to Andersson and Jeremy Lauzon, as well as a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins that swapped Kaedan Korczak with Parker Wotherspoon, the Golden Knights have likely shored up their defensive corps outside of cheap depth adds.
Meanwhile, Rondbjerg’s extensions means that he remains the last player from Vegas’ initial draft class in 2017 that is still currently with the organization.
Rondbjerg has served as a depth forward for the Golden Knights, bouncing from the NHL to the Henderson Silver Knights in the AHL. Last season, Rondbjerg played four games with Vegas and recorded an assist. Most of the season saw Rondbjerg in Henderson, scoring 13 goals and 26 points in 43 games as an alternate captain, as well as putting up an assist in six Calder Cup Playoff games.
Rondbjerg was also one of the first six players to be named to Team Denmark for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, but he was unable to participate due to injury.
Vegas now resides above the cap ceiling, but Alex Pietrangelo moving to season-ending long-term injured reserve will put them at just over $3.5 million in cap space.
With the Golden Knights reportedly in on several big moves, the coming days will be crucial for the organization moving forward.
