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The March 6th NHL trade deadline is nearing, and there continues to be more talk around Philadelphia Flyers’ defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
Ristolainen is widely regarded as one of the top available right-shot defenders available at the deadline. His size and physicality help separate him from some of the other defensemen that could be in play before the March 6th deadline.
The Flyers’ defenseman has been in trade rumors for the better part of the last three seasons, if not longer. His excellent play at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics has only helped raise his stock. Ristolainen tied for the lead in +/- with a +9.
What we do know is that the Flyers value Ristolainen and view his remaining term as a reason why they don’t HAVE to trade him at the deadline. It will take a pretty penny to get him away from the Flyers. Boston’s return in the Brandon Carlo trade (A first and Fraser Minten) last season sets the bar for a potential Ristolainen trade.
The usual suspects, the Stars, Oilers, and Red Wings, are all expected to be in play for Ristolainen. Per Elliotte Friedman, the Canadiens have poked around on the Finnish defender, as have the Bruins, per Anthony Di Marco.
On the latest edition of 32 Thoughts, Friedman speculates about a new team that could be in the mix for Ristolainen.
Read More: PhHN Daily: Flyers Trade; Maple Leafs ‘Embarrassing’; Trocheck Reunion?
On the newest edition of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman began speculating about the Buffalo Sabres and Rasmus Ristolainen. Here is what he said:
“You know who I wonder about for Ristolainen? It’s kind of funny. I mentioned on one of the pods recently that I think Buffalo is looking for some beef on the blueline. Would they ever take [Ristolainen] back? The right side of their defense right now, handiness is a bit mixed up… If you’re looking for a D with some beef, you already know [Ristolainen].”
The Sabres have a very good core of defenders, with Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Bo Byram, and Owen Power. While that is a very good top four, the issue is that they’re all left-shot defenders. Their bottom pair of Zach Metsa and Michael Kesselring is their only RHD in the lineup.
Before joining the Flyers, the 6’4″ defenseman played 8 seasons in Buffalo.
Putting the pieces together, you can make some sense out of Friedman’s speculation, especially if Buffalo prefers a left-right pair somewhere in their top four.
Following the release of the episode, the Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco chimed in, reporting that the Sabres are “actively in the mix” for Ristolainen, and that the Flyers have “a lot of trade scenarios” for the defenseman.
As was alluded to on 32T, #sabrehood is one of the many teams actively in on Rasmus Ristolainen.
Nothing is imminent, but PHI has a lot of trade scenarios they are working through at the moment.@DailyFaceoff
With the deadline days away, it seems like the Ristolainen market is heating up. What team are you most interested in as a trade partner?
Read More: Flyers Trade Deadline Tracker: Rumors, Deals, and NHL News
Flyers Trade Deadline Tracker: Rumors, Deals, and NHL News
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