For a spell, Rasmus Ristolainen was the Flyers’ number one defenseman–then, as usual, he got hurt and missed the end of the season.
It was another season that saw Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen finish the year on injured reserve. However, he did show that the previous season’s improvements weren’t a mirage–he really did improve under the tutelage of Brad Shaw and John Tortorella.
For some, that makes Ristolainen remaining on the Flyers a hard pill to swallow; at 30 years old, he’s clearly not a part of the long-term solution in Philadelphia. The good news is that, as long as he’s here, it appears he’s going to be a solid top-four defenseman–and for a while this year, he was ostensibly the Flyers’ number one.
| Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM | Shots on Goal | Shooting Percentage | Average Time On Ice |
| 63 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 14 | 100 | 4 | 20:31 |
The box scores aren’t impressive, but Ristolainen only had one less point than both Nick Seeler and Jamie Drysdale in far fewer games. Ristolainen’s average time on ice was also the highest it’s been since his first year in Philadelphia, meaning he earned his way back into the coaching staff’s good graces and even got some power play time. We normally don’t point out penalty minutes unless they’re total outliers, but 14 PIM is Ristolainen’s lowest minutes-per-game rate since his rookie season; for a player viewed as a physical menace, Ristolainen’s gotten much better about taking penalties. For comparison, the only regular defenseman on the Flyers with fewer PIM was Egor Zamula, who had six minutes in 63 games.
| Goals For% | Expected Goals For% | Corsi For% | High Danger Chances For% | PDO |
| 45.88 | 51.31 | 49.45 | 52.99 | 0.978 |
No, the improvements Ristolianen made in 2023-24, limited as his season was, weren’t a mirage. The underlying numbers weren’t as strikingly good this year, but they were still generally positive. Like nearly every other Flyer, Ristolainen drove play with a 51.31 xGF%, but the lack of finish and bad goaltending sunk his actual goals-for percentage–just look at that PDO! For a guy whose contract was expected to be an albatross, you can’t ask for much more than “adequate.”
| Points Per 60 | Shots Per 60 | Shot Attempts Per 60 | Expected Goals Per 60 |
| 0.69 | 4.86 | 9.38 | 2.4 |
Ristolainen’s 4.86 shots per 60 led Flyers defensemen, and the rest of his rate stats were middle of the pack–exactly what you’d want from a second pair defenseman. The trouble is, however, that Ristolainen was effectively the team’s No. 1 for a stretch of the season and, while he stayed afloat in that role, it not where he’s best suited to play. Maybe next year, with good health and some development among the prospects, Ristolainen will be slotted more appropriately and, perhaps at some point, traded to clear the way for the next generation of Flyers defensemen.
Three Questions
Did he live up to expectations?
Considering how low expectations for Ristolainen have been for the majority of career, it’s safe to say he met and somewhat exceeded expectations this year. The goal for him, in our eyes, was to prove that the gains he’d made in 2023-24 weren’t a fluke, and that’s exactly what he demonstrated.
What can we expect from him next season?
There’s a good chance Ristolainen misses the start of next season as he recovers from a surgery earlier this spring. Hopefully, that delayed start won’t mess with him too much and he’s able to pick up where he left off. A mostly healthy season would be nice, as well as maintaining his current level of play.
How do we grade his 2024-25 season?
It’s disappointing to see Ristolainen finish another season injured but, while he was healthy, he was a solid defenseman who, for stretches, showed he can handle more for brief periods of time. Well done proving the haters wrong, Risto–here’s to a speedy recovery, and we’ll see ya next year.
