Two potential landing spots for this Flyers defenseman have been named.
Rasmus Ristolainen
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has created plenty of chatter in the rumor mill. It is understandable, as he is a big right-shot defenseman who can play top-four minutes and kills penalties. In addition, he is signed until the end of the 2026-27 season, so he would be more than a rental for any interested clubs.
Due to this, in a recent article for The Athletic, NHL insiders Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston each predicted where Ristolainen could end up being moved by the deadline. LeBrun sees the Winnipeg Jets as a fit for Ristolainen, while Johnston sees the 2013 first-round pick ending up with the Dallas Stars.
When looking at the Jets' blueline, it is understandable that LeBrun sees Ristolainen as a possible fit. Their right side could use a boost, and Ristolainen could be a big addition for them because of it. In addition, he would give their blueline more toughness, which is something that could benefit the Jets during the playoffs. LeBrun also mentioned that Ristolainen being signed for multiple more years could intrigue Winnipeg.
As for Johnston's pick with the Stars, they also make sense as a potential landing spot. As Johnston noted, they lost fellow shutdown defender Chris Tanev this past off-season and have undoubtedly missed him. While they added right-shot defenders like Matt Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin this past off-season, Ristolainen would upgrade their blueline further.
While the Jets and Stars are being viewed as possible landing spots for Ristolainen, there should be several other interested clubs. Contenders are always looking for big defenders, and Ristolainen is a very intriguing option. It will be fascinating to see if the Flyers end up dealing him this season from here.
