3 Flyers players who won’t return in 2024-25
The Rasmus Ristolainen trade will occur sometime in the offseason
Had Rasmus Ristolainen stayed healthy, we would have seen the trade occur in March, but a long-term injury kept other organizations from calling Briere. Despite playing in just 31 games this season, someone will be willing to acquire the seasoned veteran who can log minutes on the top-four, even if his overall ice time took a hit this season.
Ristolainen isn’t a scorer, and a high-profile offensive game has rarely been the case throughout his NHL career, but he will provide help as a stay-at-home blueliner. Someone who figures to contend next season and is looking for a complement for a two-way player will be interested in Ristolainen, regardless of his upcoming $6.5 million base salary and overall contract length.
A team wishing to acquire his services will be getting a bonus if they need help on special teams, as Ristolainen can give them a hand on the power play and when they are short-handed. One interesting stat line is that in 27.2 short-handed minutes in 2023-24, the Flyers never gave up a goal with Ristolainen on the ice. It’s also worth noting his overall possession quality at even strength sat at plus-5.6.
Ristolainen may not be a flashy player, but he will provide value to a serious contender looking to boost their top-four with a stay-at-home player or even their bottom-pairing.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)