Canadian Teams Gunning For Flyers Defender
The rumours have flared up surrounding Philadelphia Flyers blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports - Canadian Teams Gunning For Flyers DefenderIt may be a difficult trade, but the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks have expressed interest in the large, Finnish defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
The 29-year old would come with several benefits; 1,159 career shot blocks and 44 this season, and a hard, 96.37-mph top shot. His average shot speed of 60.59 mph is faster than every NHL All-Star competitor in that contest except Cale Makar, and his top shot is close to beating them all too.
In addition, the 6-foot-4, 221-pound man is one of the NHLs top hitters, with, 1,801 career hits, and three fights in the NHL.
His focus is physicality rather than finesse, a good example being his weak shooting percentage of 2.2 per cent. But, he has proved himself defensively.
The problem - Ristolainen is mid-contract, with a $5.1M annual cap hit and still has a long way to go before becoming an RFA, set to be in 2027.
Anthony Di Marco, the lead NHL reporter for The Fourth Period, a hockey lifestyle magazine, said on X that the Flyers may retain some of his cap hit, but it will still be expensive for any team that may take him.
Vancouver Canucks Have Shown Interest
The Canucks are a team rumoured to be looking at Ristolainen, according to Di Marco.
The Canucks have placed the two-way blueliners up front with Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek. Both are excellent passers and forward-helpers.
The top blockers for the Canucks fall into the second line with Ian Cole and Tyler Myers, with 101 and 95 blocks this season, respectively.
Ristolainen may fit in the third pairing, replacing Noah Juulsen.
Nikita Zadorov and Juulsen both have similar numbers to Ristolainen with 48 blocks for Zadorov and 53 for Juulsen.
Ristolainen outstrips Juulsen in skating speed and his hardest shot, but cost is the catch here, since Juulsens cap hit is only $775,000 compared to Ristolainen's $5.1M.
So, the improvement may not be worth the cost.
Where Does He Fit With the Maple Leafs?
In Dec. 2023, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that the Maple Leafs have considered Ristolainen, although Toronto was doing well at the time, and the Flyers may not be too keen on giving him up.
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And, with their defensive depth, the Leafs may have it covered already, and Ristolainen's expensive cap hit may make it not worth it at all. Regardless of that, you can never have too much defensive depth on your team - especially come playoff time.
He's having a great year under John Tortorella, but will that translate to another team if he is traded? Both of these teams take a risk in finding out the answer.