Rasmus Andersson’s first six weeks with the Vegas Golden Knights have been a whirlwind of hockey, travel, and paperwork — all without his wife and two young children by his side. Now that Tessa, Benjamin, and Lucy have moved into their Summerlin home, the defenseman believes he can finally settle in and improve his play.
Since being acquired from the Calgary Flames on Jan. 18, Andersson has recorded six points and a minus-6 rating in 15 games, while the team has gone 5-10-2. The 29-year-old admits the mental strain of adjusting to a new country, team, and city alone has been the hardest part.
“I think, just mentally, that was the hardest part,” Andersson said Sunday.
Tessa and the children remained in Calgary to finalize the move, with Andersson staying at Red Rock Resort across from the team’s practice facility. They arrived in Las Vegas shortly after the Knights’ post-Olympic road trip.
“It’s been a lot for my wife,” Andersson said. “Settling down in Calgary, getting organized with the move and being alone with two young kids.”
Andersson’s journey included a visa application, Olympic participation with Sweden, and constant travel. He made his Knights debut in Toronto on Jan. 23 after joining the team in Boston. The family briefly reunited in Italy during the Olympics, then Andersson returned to Las Vegas alone for the five-game road trip.
“It feels better and better each day,” Andersson said. “It just feels like I can start settling in. It was a lot those first six weeks. Now it feels like I’m getting more in the rhythm.”
Coach Bruce Cassidy is still searching for the right defensive partner for Andersson, who has skated with Jeremy Lauzon recently after years alongside Noah Hanifin in Calgary. His ice time has dropped from 24 minutes per game with the Flames to 21:28 with the Knights.
“There’s still a work in progress with chemistry,” Cassidy said. “We know he had it with (Hanifin), but does that make us the most balanced six?”
Cassidy acknowledged the personal challenges Andersson has faced. “He has family, too. That’s a challenge,” Cassidy said. “There’s a little bit you have to just accept. All those things that come first — the person before the player — people forget that sometimes.”
Andersson felt his game coming together at the end of the road trip with two assists in an overtime win in Detroit, but Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers was a setback as he was on the ice for all three even-strength goals against.
“I felt pretty good before the Olympics those few games, and then mentally a little tough after the Olympics,” Andersson said. “You leave the kids, see them for 48 hours and then leave them again and you know it’s going to be another two weeks. But at the same time, it’s so nice to see them. I feel like now I can just settle in, relax and breathe a little more.”
The Golden Knights, clinging to playoff positioning, face the Dallas Stars on Tuesday at American Airlines Center.
