We're just two weeks away from the beginning of the Olympic break, and the Philadelphia Flyers appear poised to get two of their Olympians back before the festivities in Milan get underway. Right-shot defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is likely to rejoin the lineup against the New York Islanders, and goaltender Dan Vladar should be back later this week.
Ersson in goal. Grebenkin in for Hathaway. Ristolainen likely returns, depending on how he feels after warmups.
— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) January 26, 2026
Ristolainen has been in and out of the lineup all season, starting the year on injured reserve. He didn't make his season debut until the middle of December against the Montreal Canadiens, and has been out of action since January 12. In those 13 games, he has three points--all assists--and has averaged a hair under 21 minutes of ice time. While his impact on the scoresheet is somewhat negligible, he's a key part of the Flyers' lineup, providing a steadying presence on the backend and allowing the rest of the blue line group to slot more appropriately. Coming back now also gives Ristolainen some runway to ramp up as he prepares to represent Finland in the Milan Olympics in a few short weeks.
Vladar, meanwhile, has shared the limelight this season with Trevor Zegras--the two most important offseason acquisitions GM Danny Briere made last summer. In 28 starts, Vladar has a 16-7-4 record, a .905 save percentage, and 2.46 goals against average. Per Money Puck, Vladar's 8.5 goals saved above expected has him 17th in the NHL. He's been a major reason the Flyers have flirted with the playoffs all season. If he's back in the Flyers' lineup soon, it gives him time to warm up to represent Team Czechia in the Olympics, as well.
The return of these two players comes at a pivotal time for the Flyers, as they have some important matchups on the horizon. There are six games until the Olympic break: half of them are against Metropolitan Division teams, and two more are against Eastern Conference teams. Vladar and Ristolainen could help the Flyers get back in a playoff position before the Olympics, if all goes well.