Rasmus Ristolainen’s journey in the NHL has been quite the rollercoaster. Drafted eighth by the Buffalo Sabres in 2013, he never quite lived up to the high hopes set for him. As a key figure on the Sabres’ defense during some tough years and a frequent subject of criticism from analysts, his name was always buzzing.
In 2021, Ristolainen joined Philadelphia after a trade that included a first-round pick. The Flyers signed him to a five-year deal worth $25.5 million, hoping to rebuild and make it back into playoff contention. But as time passed, things changed within the organization, with new leadership taking over and shifting focus toward future goals.
Under coaches John Tortorella and Brad Shaw, Ristolainen found his groove again as a solid defender . Before last season’s trade deadline, teams like Toronto and Vancouver showed interest in him until an injury sidelined him. Fans might wonder if this year will finally see him traded given his contract is easier to move now due to salary cap changes.
Rising Stock
With Cam York injured, Ristolainen stepped up on the Flyers’ top pair alongside Travis Sanheim. His performance improved significantly this season; he’s playing over 19 minutes per game at times! People say his value has gone up so much that trading for him could cost another team a first-round pick or something similar.
Defensemen like Ben Chiarot and David Savard have fetched big returns recently—could Ristolainen be next? He’s not about to become an unrestricted free agent anytime soon either; his contract continues beyond this year with manageable terms thanks partly to rising salary caps.
Fans may think about how important size and strength are in hockey championships—two traits that describe Ristolainen well! If he keeps improving through winter months ahead… who knows what rumors will swirl around?
Future of Fedotov
Aleksei Kolosov’s call-up left Ivan Fedotov third among Flyers goalies until Samuel Ersson got hurt Saturday—now Fedotov might get another chance on ice! There were whispers about sending Fedotov down for conditioning games but putting him through waivers seems more likely since it frees up roster space if needed later too!
Fedotov isn’t being waived yet though—it’s just one option management considers while evaluating their goaltending strategy moving forward (Kolosov looks promising). At age 28 soon enough himself: .821 save percentage & 5+ goals-against average aren’t ideal stats either way…
Flyers Exploring Options at Center
Center position remains hot topic among Philly fans lately—the team wants better depth there since last year already started looking around potential trades involving centers like Trevor Zegras from Anaheim Ducks despite high asking prices involved or Dylan Cozens (Buffalo Sabres) whose performance hasn’t impressed much lately compared expectations set earlier seasons past…
Marco Rossi caught attention during summer when Minnesota Wild made available briefly before starting strong campaign now underway—is he still someone Flyers might pursue? That depends whether Wild willing part ways anymore given recent success seen thus far…
What do you think will happen next with these players?
