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 given the state of the Flyers.
The Flyers are in rebuild mode and, while Risto has been carrying a heavy workload, but he is not part of the team’s future. They are too far out from competing to keep him around.
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. 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. At the deadline, the asking price was hefty. Philly’s asked for a first-round pick and a prospect. The Toronto Maple Leafs allegedly made a big offer for him, but it was rejected.
I find it 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 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 center and top prospect, Easton Cowan.
My guess is that Toronto would not budge on that, 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 blueliner, 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?
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.
