The NHL's trade deadline is fast approaching, with just under a week until the bell sounds. The Philadelphia Flyers are likely going to miss the playoffs, which means they ought to be sellers at the deadline. However, they don't have many players to sell--save one.
The Athletic recently released their latest trade board, and a single Flyer is represented on the list of 50 players: Rasmus Ristolainen, at number 19. On the heels of an outstanding performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, there's never been a better time for the Flyers to move on from the big, right-shot defensive defenseman. GM Danny Briere and the front office have their price in mind--a first-round pick and something else of value--and are willing to wait until a team steps up and meets their ask.
In the past, Briere has been proven right to wait: two years ago, the Flyers managed to extract a first-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche for Sean Walker; last year, the Flyers got a first-round pick and Nikita Grebenkin from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Scott Laughton. As was the case with Laughton, Ristolainen has another year remaining on his $5.1-million AAV contract, meaning a team that trades for him now would get two playoff runs from the veteran blueliner who has yet to play in the postseason after 13 years in the NHL. The Flyers have also shown they're willing to retain (or take on) salary to get the assets they want.
Ristolainen has only played 21 games for the Flyers this season, as he missed the first two months recovering from surgery the spring prior. In that time, he's scored a goal, five assists, and six points while averaging just over 20 minutes of ice time each night. There are plenty of teams looking to add this year, as the Eastern Conference is wide open and the top heavy Western Conference will be a gauntlet for every team hoping to reach the Stanley Cup Final; Ristolainen would be a rock solid addition on the backend for just about any team if the Flyers can find a deal they're happy with.