With Jacob Trouba being traded, this Flyers defender's trade market could start to heat up even more.
The NHL saw a big trade occur on Friday (Dec. 6). The New York Rangers traded former captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick.
With Trouba now off the board, interest in Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen could pick up even further from here.
Trouba generated plenty of interest before his move to the Ducks, and it seems possible that some of those clubs could circle in on Ristolainen. Like Trouba, Ristolainen is a hard-hitting right-shot defenseman who can play top-four minutes. Some clubs who were connected to Trouba include the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators.
Furthermore, with Trouba being dealt, Ristolainen is arguably the top right-shot defenseman with multiple years left on his contract. Thus, the possibility of him generating interest from both contenders and non-playoff teams is there. This is especially so if the Flyers are open to retaining a portion of his $5.1 million cap hit.
Ristolainen, 30, has played in 26 games this season, where he has one goal, eight points, 50 hits, and a plus-2 rating. He also has been heating up offensively, posting five assists over his last six contests.
It will be fascinating to see if interest in Ristolainen picks up with Trouba being traded from here.
