The Philadelphia Flyers have been a bit lacking at the blue line, with Rasmus Ristolainen having yet to make his season debut. There's also good news on high-end prospect Oliver Bonk, who has also been missing time with an injury.
One team source filled Kevin Kurz in, leading him to unveil the respective timelines regarding Ristolainen's and Bonk's timetables for return:
Per a team source, both Rasmus Ristolainen (triceps surgery) and Oliver Bonk (upper body) are about 5-6 weeks away from playing -- as long as there are no setbacks. Bonk, of course, would likely begin with the Phantoms.
— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) October 23, 2025
This puts them both roughly in late November or early December, right when the playoff race begins to heat up and fans across the league get an idea of where their team is heading. As far as the 2025-26 season goes, the jury is still out on the Flyers, who are 3-2-1 and have seven points on the season.
Getting a veteran like Ristolainen back will help, assuming his injury woes are behind him and that the Flyers are willing to keep him around. Across his four seasons in Philadelphia, Ristolainen has yet to appear in over 74 games in a single campaign. That included a career-low 31 contests in 2023-24, and just 63 in 2024-25.
What Rasmus Ristolainen would bring back to the Flyers
Should Ristolainen stay healthy, he will give this young team another veteran asset who can land top-four minutes and provide a physical presence with over triple digits in landing body checks and blocks.
He's not much of a points producer, but Ristolainen's efforts came up big in 2024-25, when he was on the ice at even strength for 52 goals while seeing 50 go into his own net. That might not seem like a big deal, but given the Flyers' poor play last season, being on the ice for more goals for than goals allowed is an accomplishment in and of itself.
Oliver Bonk could be of good service to a young Flyers team
Oliver Bonk is a player Flyers fans probably can't wait to see hit the ice with the big club, even if he'll make a stop with the Phantoms for more seasoning. Still, he'll add more than enough size to the Flyers' blue line when he gets his eventual chance, given his 6'2, 198-lb frame.
Bonk, who spent the 2024-25 season for the OHL's London Knights, was an alternate captain who looked like a future two-way blueliner with 40 points and 11 goals in 52 regular-season games. He also had a ridiculous 14 points and two goals in 17 postseason contests.
Then, there's the fact that he can shut down plays and land punishing hits, so he will be more than worth watching when he's back in action. And if he plays well enough, maybe he too will wind up with the big club.