A Rasmus Ristolainen trade could change everything for the Red Wings
Steve Yzerman must consider the option of trading for the Philadelphia Flyers defender.
Rasmus Ristolainen, the veteran Philadelphia Flyers blueliner, has been a fixture in trade rumors since midway through the 2024–25 season. This should not be surprising as the Flyers are currently in rebuild mode.
He plays big minutes and is an important piece to the Flyers back end, but the team is too far out from competing to consider him a core part of their future.
Ristolainen is a 30-year-old right-handed defenseman with a punishing hit, solid defense, and a good shot. He has logged over 20 minutes a game for the club in multiple situations and his offense has continually improved. In 63 games, he flirted with a 20-point season.
Had he not been injured at the trade deadline, he likely would have been traded by now. According to Darren Dreger, the asking price was hefty. Philly wanted a first-round pick and a prospect. The Toronto Maple Leafs allegedly made a big offer for him, but it was rejected.
Flyers update. Big ask on Ristolainen. 1st, prospect and player. Decent chance he stays in Philly. Hard to replace. Teams that missed on Nelson are circling on Laughton and the price is a haul.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 7, 2025
It is hard to believe both the offer and the rejection were as black and white as rumors made it seem. Toronto ultimately traded for Flyers’ center Scott Laughton, a defensive forward and penalty kill phenom for the same asking price as Ristolainen: a first and a prospect. A few later-round picks also went Toronto’s way, and the Flyers retained half of his salary.
The asking price
The Maple Leafs traded their 2025 first-rounder to Chicago and their 2026 pick to Boston. So, if they were indeed offering a first and a prospect for Ristolainen, it likely would have been part of the Laughton deal and the Flyers would have wanted their top-prospect center, Easton Cowan. Otherwise, Toronto had no other first-pick worth discussing.
Toronto likely would not budge on the request for Eason Cowan, and the trade fell through. Still, it sets the market price for the defender, and would it be a worthwhile investment for Detroit.
If general manager Steve Yzerman has interest in the big Finn, the Flyers would likely want the 13th overall pick and either one of the team’s top centers, goalies, or right-handed defender. In exchange, they may offer Ristolainen, one of their later first-round picks, a mid-tier draft pick, and retain half of his salary. That is if the trade happens on the draft floor. If it happens at the deadline, the price will change.
So, why would the Red Wings want to do that?
An immediate improvement
If Yzerman wants to take the team to the playoffs this season, they will need help on the blue line. Ristolainen can easily provide that help. Right now, Seider is logging 23+ minutes a game and Ristolainen can help reduce that workload without a drop in quality. It would also give Axel Sandin-Pellikka more time to develop. Rushing a prospect is never a good idea.
The Red Wings need a right-handed defenseman, and they are not easily available and cost more than a lefty. The 6’4”, 22-pound defender was able to produce more offense this past season on a bad team that struggled to score. Although he is 30, he still has a lot of gas left in the tank. Ristolainen has two years left on his contract at a decent price of $5.1 million. If the Flyers retain any of his salary, that will certainly make the deal more attractive while leaving room for the Wings to still pursue a big-name player.
At worst, it is worth making a call to the Flyers to see if both sides can make it work.
Originally published on Octopus Thrower
