The Vegas Golden Knights are built to win now and Bruins are still trying to get back to elite status. That is at least part of the reason why the B’s lost out on their chase for defenseman Rasmus Andersson.

The Knights, who will be in Boston on Thursday, obtained the right-shot defenseman the Calgary Flames on Sunday evening. The deal for the unrestricted free agent was completed without a contract extension.

That appeared to be a prerequisite for the B’s to get a deal done for the defenseman. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman had reported Saturday night that the B’s had been given permission to speak with Andersson’s camp about an extension. Perhaps the ask was too much for the B’s or maybe Andersson just wanted to go to Vegas more. It has been reported that Sin City has long been his preference. Whatever the case, the 29-year-old Andersson is now a Golden Knight.

Despite the B’s being just inside the playoff bracket and playing well at the moment, they are still in re-tool mode and it would be unwise to spend vital futures on a rental.

If it becomes a pure rental for the Knights – and Vegas still could get a deal done between now and July 1 — they paid a pretty dear price. It is reportedly a 2027 first round pick (top 10 protected), a 2027 second round pick that becomes a first if Vegas wins the Stanley Cup, veteran defenseman Zac Whitecloud and 2022 seventh round pick defenseman Abram Weibe, who is in his third year at the University of North Dakota.

It most likely would have cost the B’s a young defenseman like Mason Lohrei, a prospect like Matt Poitras and one of the their four first round picks over the next two drafts.

While GM Don Sweeney came up empty on this one, his involvement signaled that he is willing to use his draft capital for a move if it will improve the team now and for the future. And Andersson would have done that….

On Sunday, the club moved defenseman Henri Jokiharju to a non-roster designation due to a family matter and recalled fellow right-shot defenseman Billy Sweezey from Providence.

Sweezey had traveled with the club as insurance on the two-game road trip because of a lower body injury to Andrew Peeke. But before Saturday’s win over Chicago, Hampus Lidholm was activated off injured reserve and Sweezey was reassigned. Now he’s back in the NHL for the time being. The team traveled on Sunday to Dallas, where it will take on the Stars on Tuesday.