After years of sometimes frustrating hockey, we are down to the final season of Rasmus Ristolainen as a Philadelphia Flyer. After trading a first and second-round pick to acquire him in 2021, he was immediately signed to a five-year extension paying him $5.1 million annually. For a player who will turn 32 in October, the writing on the wall for him in Philly seems to be written.
Or is it?
Say what you will about the guy, he is one of the more frustrating and intriguing players that this franchise has ever had. He was brought here to be a more defensive-minded version of Shayne  Gostisbehere. Nope. The offensive expectations everyone had of him never quite materialized. Likewise, there were times early on in his stay here in Philly that he seemed more like a defensive liability.
Then John Tortorella happened. Tortorella unlocked something inside of Ristolainen that made him better. He became a much-improved defender. The flip side of that coin was that he couldn't stay healthy. In three of his five seasons in Philly, he played more than 60 games, and in only one of them did he play more than 70. This past season, he appeared in just 44 games before playing in the postseason.
And yet it was in this run to the playoffs and the postseason that we saw the absolute best hockey he's ever played. He even scored a goal in the postseason. In the playoffs, he averaged 25 minutes of ice time and delivered 20 hits while making nine blocks. You could make an argument that he was one of the most important cogs, especially on defense, in the Flyers' epic last-minute run.
At the same time, he was rumored to be a trade deadline candidate just about every season. Every few months, be it the end of the season, by the trade deadline, or near the draft, everyone thought, "this is it for him."Â And yet he stayed on.
With him nearing the final year of his contract, there is still the expectation that he could be traded away for draft picks, prospects, and/or another veteran player. Kind of a "you swap our vet for your vet" deal. It could happen.
It could be that the Flyers decide to hold onto him. After all, he was stellar at the end of the year. Even though his trade value might be at its highest right now, you could move him for more during the season near the deadline. But what could you get for him? A couple of picks? A prospect or a vet?
There is another possibility. What if the Flyers decide to extend him? Yes, some young players are on this team who need a shot (Helge Grans, David Jirciek, Oliver Bonk, etc.), but Ristolainen has just played some of the best hockey in his career. Isn't that worth holding onto?
What if the Flyers were to extend him for another year or two? Would it be worth it? Would he want a pay raise or would he take what he is making? This is the conundrum Daniel Briere will face with him.
On the one hand, you can't keep everyone. Ristolainen is blocking some younger guys who could use the NHL experience. Moving him would save some cap space (depending on what he was traded for) and bring in some valuable assets.Â
On the other hand, he played really well this year. Every team can always use a good corps of defenders. If the Flyers run it back with him, they'd be fine. And if he were to sign a short-term deal, that could be something that could be a bonus for years to come. Provided he is healthy, of course.
Ristolainen has had a lot of injuries since joining the Flyers. Most of those have come from torn and ruptured triceps. How many more injuries can he sustain? Move him now, and he's someone else's problem. Keep him, and he potentially gets injured before the trade deadline. Or they could re-sign him, risking the same dilemma as the previous option.
That is what Daniel Briere will have to consider in the coming weeks.
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