The rumors surrounding the Philadelphia Flyers and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen won’t be going away anytime soon.
Ristolainen has become a hot commodity over the last month or so, with multiple teams kicking the tires on the 31-year-old.
One of the most interesting teams kicking the tires on Ristolainen is the Montreal Canadiens. A report in RG Media initially discussed how the Habs and Flyers had a conversation involving the price tag to bring Ristolainen to Montreal.
As Marco D’Amico noted, the discussion wasn’t very profound as the Flyers’ price tag for Ristolainen seemed to scare off the Canadiens. As discussed previously, Philly is looking for a first-round pick and top prospect for Ristolainen.
D’Amico noted in another piece that the Habs have been getting hammered with requests for up-and-coming star Michael Hage. However, the Canadiens are so high on Hage that he’s become an untouchable in the organization. Hage has become so valuable to the Habs that they’re willing to pass on a deal if he’s part of the ask.
For the Flyers, it makes sense they would ask for someone like Hage. Early projections on the 19-year-old suggest he could be a solid top-six center. If that’s the case, the Flyers could certainly use a young forward like him.
Could Canadiens circle back to Ristolainen?
The chatter surrounding the Canadiens is that they want to shore up the right side of their blue line. That’s reasonable, given how depth guys like Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble haven’t really convinced their organization.
That’s why the Canadiens might circle back to Ristolainen before the clock strikes on the 2026 NHL trade deadline. While other times might be kicking the tires on the Olympic bronze medalist, the Canadiens could be motivated to get something done. If the Flyers come down from their asking price somewhat, and the Canadiens are comfortable with moving another top prospect, Ristolainen could be heading north.
While that’s not something really worth betting on, anything can happen from now till Friday’s 3 pm EST deadline. The Habs want to do something, while Philly is willing to listen. That sounds like the right situation for a major trade to go down.Â
The Flyers seem keen on keeping Ristolainen, though. He’s got one more year on his current deal at $5.1 million. That’s not chump change, but it’s not a financially shackling situation. If he can stay healthy next season, Ristolainen could actually be part of a significant turnaround moving forward.