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Elliotte Friedman reveals key details of the Toronto Maple Leafs' offer for Rasmus Andersson


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Alexander Cole
January 21, 2026  (10:50)
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Jan 17, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson (4) against the New York Islanders during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Rasmus Andersson was traded to the Las Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, much to the dismay of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who thought they were in on him.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made it very clear to the rest of the league that they would like a right-handed puck-moving defenseman on their roster.
Overall, the Leafs would be a much better team if they had this kind of player, especially with Chris Tanev looking to miss the rest of the season.
Rasmus Andersson is a player that they wanted, although negotiations with the Calgary Flames fell flat, and the Las Vegas Golden Knights won the sweepstakes.
Now, Elliotte Friedman has the latest on the negotiations and why the Leafs weren't able to make it happen.

Elliotte Friedman reveals the Toronto Maple Leafs' offer

Simply put, given what the final offer was from the Golden Knights, there was no way that the Leafs had the assets or the drive to actually get this done.
Toronto I think pushed, but you look at the final offer, I don't think they could've beaten that; Dallas; lots of rumours about Detroit, the more I hear about it the more I doubt it
Given the fact that the Leafs have been contenders for a while now, they have consistently been buyers at the trade deadline.
This has led to Kyle Dubas and Brad Treliving giving away young prospects and draft picks. Now, the team barely has anything left to give.
It has become a huge problem, and it is an issue that is going to carry over into this year's trade deadline, which will be the most crucial of Treliving's entire tenure so far.
It's going to be interesting to watch, and there is real pressure for the Maple Leafs to get something done here.
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Elliotte Friedman reveals key details of the Toronto Maple Leafs' offer for Rasmus Andersson

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