Rasmus Ristolainen signs five-year extension

After an off-season trade from the Buffalo Sabres, Rasmus Ristolainen will be staying in Philadelphia long term. The Flyers have locked the veteran defenseman in for the next five years.

Most held the belief that the Flyers ended up paying too much to bring Ristolainen over in the first place. It wasn’t the addition of Robert Hagg in the deal that most held issue with. It was more so the 2021 first-round pick and a second round pick in 2023 that had people scratching their heads.

It was the same sentiment fans had when a draft pick was added in to the Shayne Gostisbehere trade. As if the Flyers were essentially giving him away to the Arizona Coyotes. A lot of that had to do with cap space as well as Gostisbehere’s time in Philadelphia likely needing to come to an end.

When Ristolainen was first brought to Philadelphia, it always seemed as if the plan was to keep him long term. Whether that was Chuck Fletcher realizing the price he paid or that the organization truly wanted to keep Ristolainen here. Another reason could also be the physical brand of hockey he brings. The Flyers truly value that aspect of his game.

“Rasmus is an important part of our team and we are very happy to have him on our blue line for the next five years,” said Fletcher. “He is committed to being a Flyer, and brings a consistent physical presence to our team.”

Ristolainen’s past goes back to his days in Buffalo. He was selected eighth overall by the Sabres back in 2013. Appearing in 542 NHL games, things never seemed to be stable in Buffalo. Ristolainen didn’t shy away from his failures on the team, but it likely wasn’t easy when you’re faced with multiple head coaches and possibly even more responsibilities than you can handle.

The hope on the Flyers side was that a sense of stability and even a lesser role would help Ristolainen. While Ristolainen and Travis Sanheim can be considered one of the team’s more consistent defensive pairings, the numbers still aren’t great despite being the best on the team. Ristolainen sits at a 47.80 CF%. The potential upside is that number is his best since the 2018-19 season.

On a team that has had its fair amount of struggles, though, that isn’t necessarily a strong upside. Could more consistency during the next few years help Ristolainen even out to a passable defenseman? That’s the hope the Flyers seem to be banking on.