Could the Sabres bring back this defenseman?
The Buffalo Sabres' top goal for the 2026 NHL trade deadline should be to add an impactful right-shot defenseman. Due to this, they are now being linked to one of their former players.
According to Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco, the Sabres are among the teams interested in Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
Ristolainen, of course, was selected by the Sabres with the eighth overall pick of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. From there, he spent his first eight NHL seasons with Buffalo before being traded to the Flyers. Now, five years after trading the big right-shot defenseman, the Sabres are open to the idea of bringing him back to Buffalo.
If the Sabres acquired Ristolainen, he could work nicely on their bottom pairing and penalty kill. However, he could also move up to the Sabres' top four if needed.
Ristolainen would be more than a rental for the Sabres if acquired. This is because he has a $5.1 million cap hit until the end of the 2026-27 season. As a result of this, Ristolainen has good trade value and could cost the Sabres a first-round pick in a potential move.
In 23 games this season with the Flyers, Ristolainen has recorded one goal, six points, and 25 hits.