The Winter Olympics reached its conclusion on Sunday, and on Wednesday, the NHL regular season will resume. Teams have been practicing in the past week with players who were not competing in the Olympic Winter Games. In the coming days, it will be decision time for NHL teams, as the March 6 trade deadline is quickly approaching.
For the Philadelphia Flyers, they had a hot start to the season but have since cooled off. While they are still within reach of a playoff spot, more losses by the time March 6 rolls around, they'll have to decide their approach — stand pat with their roster, or trade away assets. One player who could be dealt is defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who just won a bronze medal in the Olympics.
The Athletic's Kevin Kurz reports that if the Flyers were to stack up losses in their return to play and decide to sell at the trade deadline, the team "would listen" on calls for Ristolainen. But Kurz stressed that they won't just trade Ristolainen for a minimal trade return.
In terms of which team makes sense as a trade partner, one makes sense — the Dallas Stars.
Stars make sense as Rasmus Ristolainen trade partner for Flyers
Kurz touched on why the Stars makes sense as a trade partner with the Flyers if they do opt to trade away Ristolainen due in part for their need for a right-handed defenseman and that he participated with many
"One team to keep an eye on here is the Dallas Stars, who may still be seeking a right-handed defenseman after missing out on Rasmus Andersson, who was traded from the Calgary Flames to the Vegas Golden Knights," writes Kurz. "The Stars have a number of players who, like Ristolainen, are currently on Team Finland at the Olympics, including Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, Esa Lindell and Mikko Rantanen. Ristolainen could slide into that dressing room rather seamlessly."
The trade market, much like the upcoming free agency class, may not be as stacked as fans would like, but there are names that can help out teams looking to either get into a playoff spot or improve their chances of clinching a higher seed. With Andersson off the board, Ristolainen could slot in as a top right-handed defenseman, considering the options aren't the greatest.
This season with the Flyers, after recovering from a torn triceps, has one goal, five assists, and a -4 plus/minus rating to his credit through 19 games played. But in the Olympics, Ristolainen truly increased his value, as he posted three assists and a +9 plus/minus ratio in six games with Finland.
The Stars are 34-14-9 on the year with 77 points through 57 games. Dallas is in third place in the Central Division. It's nearly a virtual lock that the Stars will clinch one of the top three spots in the division. Their path to the Stanley Cup will have to run through the first place Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild, a difficult path. So, they'll need to make a push for adding talent at the trade deadline.
The Flyers and General Manager Danny Briere have already let it be known they are not going to trade away their future for a chance at a playoff push. If the playoffs are out of the equation, the Flyers should explore some of the value they have on their team. For Ristolainen, he is coming off of a solid showing in the Olympics, and is under contract for one more season. If the team opts to sell players by March 6, Ristolainen could fetch them a decent return.