Rasmus Ristolainen is one of the more polarizing figures currently on the Philadelphia Flyers’ roster. His physical style of play appeases to a certain crowd, and his lapses in judgment frustrate another. Nevertheless, rumors have emerged that teams may have come calling about the availability of Ristolainen ahead of the trade deadline in March. The Flyers, who are supposedly in a rebuild, should be considering all options, and moving their 29-year-old right-handed defenseman who has three years left on his contract at a $5.1 million cap hit is an intriguing lifeline to consider.
Keep
Despite the fact that a large majority of folks won’t admit it, Ristolainen has actually improved quite a bit under the watchful eye of Tortorella. It’s highly unlikely the 29-year-old has a renaissance beyond where he’s at right now, but he’s a more than capable middle-pair defenseman when he’s on his game and strategically deployed.
One of the biggest things Ristolainen has going for him is the fact that he’s a right-handed defenseman, one of only two natural righties (Sean Walker being the other) the Flyers have on the roster. Everyone else, including Travis Sanheim, who is place-holding as the top RHD, are all left shots. His status as a top four RHD is an invaluable resource to a team that lacks any real depth at the position.
Trade
Anytime you can shave $5 million dollars of the books and get an asset in return for a player that is at the peak of their value, they have to address it.
Ever since Ristolainen showed up in Philly, there’s been talk of unlocking “playoff Risto” a version of the defenseman that is supposedly built for the NHL postseason, something he hasn’t experienced yet in his 11th professional season. Whether or not that rendition of Ristolainen lies within has yet to be determined, but having a big physical defenseman who can grind opponents down during a seven game series can be a major contributing factor towards postseason success and it’s why other playoff teams are doing their research.
Conclusion
There was a nuclear meltdown from the Flyers’ fanbase when Chuck Fletcher inked Ristolainen to his extension in March of 2022, but the reality is his cap hit is more than reasonable, and he’s one of those guys that will always hold value to most general managers as a big, physical, right-shot defenseman, and with his play possibly at the highest peak it’s ever been, if a buyer lays an offer on the table, it’s time to consider it.
While $5.1 million isn’t an egregious price tag for Ristolainen, committing to him until 2027 when the team is in a “rebuild” cuts down on flexibility they could be using elsewhere. He’s one of only four players on the active roster signed beyond 2026. Saving his cap dollars can go towards retention slots to wheel and deal as a third party team in other trades across the league, and his roster spot could go towards Ronnie Attard to develop the future players now.
Chuck Fletcher gave up a first and second round pick for Ristolainen back in the 2021 offseason. Could the Flyers walk away from a trade with a net positive return or even just break even on value? Potentially. Predicting returns at the trade deadline is never easy, and when someone like Risto becomes available, whose play tugs at boomer heartstrings rather than data-backed analytics, it’s hard to find a guaranteed comparable. A first round pick wouldn’t be surprising, but could they snag that additional second? It seems unlikely, but would they balk if they couldn’t get out of the deal breaking even? Hopefully not.
On a defense that features three marquee unrestricted free agents ahead of the trade deadline in March, it does come as a bit of a surprise that Ristolainen’s name has popped up in the rumor mill. But if there are teams out there who are willing to take on the rest of his contract and part with at least one major asset to do so, the Flyers need to really consider striking a deal. The story of Rasmus Ristolainen rehabbing his career in Philly has been a nice story, but the ability to open some cap space and turnstile a roster spot is far more valuable to the team at the moment than what the new and improved Ristolainen brings.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: Getty Images
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