The Bronze Medal game of the 2026 Olympics in Milan concluded with a decisive 6-1 victory for Team Finland over Team Slovakia. Even without star winger Mikko Rantanen in the lineup due to an injury, the Finns were still heavy favorites to win, and they delivered. One of Finland's standout players? The Philadelphia Flyers' own Rasmus Ristolainen.
Ristolainen registered one point in the Bronze game, a secondary assist on one of Finland's empty net goals, and a plus-2 rating. That brings his Olympic totals to three points (all assists) and puts him in a three-way tie for a games-leading plus-9 rating alongside countryman and fellow defenseman Niko Mikkola and Team Canada defenseman Devon Toews. Depending how the Gold Medal game against the Americans goes for Toews and the Canadians, Ristolainen and Mikkola could finish the Olympics with the best plus-minus rating of all skaters.
We wrote as the games got underway that these Olympics were a chance for Ristolainen to boost his trade value as the March trade deadline nears, and he's done just that--and then some! Ristolainen was leaned on heavily by the Finnish coaching staff, skating the third most minutes of any Finn across six games played. He only took one penalty in the tournament, too, managing to stay disciplined in the role of defensive defenseman. Ristolainen missed the Four Nations tournament due to injury, which would've been his first opportunity to prove himself in best-on-best competition, but he more than made up for it in Milan.
Jokes have been made for ages about "playoff Risto" because, in his 13 NHL seasons, Ristolainen has not once been to the Stanley Cup playoffs. These Olympics were an opportunity to showcase to NHL general managers just what sort of player Ristolainen can be in a highly competitive, playoff-like atmosphere. He's a big, coveted right-shot defender who's tailor made for playoff hockey and--with one year remaining on his $5.1-million AAV contract--a player teams would get two Cup runs out of if they acquire him at the upcoming trade deadline.
The Flyers are listening on Ristolainen, and after that Olympic performance, GM Danny Briere's phone could be getting quite a few more calls.