Entering the Olympic break, the Philadelphia Flyers were expected to be relatively quiet at the trade deadline. But now that Rasmus Ristolainen is putting on a show for Team Finland, real talk has started. The 31-year-old is attracting a lot of interest.
On his way to a bronze medal, Ristolainen recorded three assists and a plus-9 rating in six games. According to Anthony Di Marco van Daily confrontationat least Half a dozen teams are interested in making something happen.
Here are two do’s and don’ts of a potential Ristolainen trade.
Do: Explore all trading options
Di Marco reported that “a package similar to what the Boston Bruins got for Brandon Carlo last year or what the Montreal Canadiens got for Ben Chiarot four years ago is in the ballpark” for a trade. This means that the returns here can be significant.
So the Flyers can approach this in many ways. The most obvious is pursuing a 2026 first-round pick, which would fit into the rebuilding timeline. By the time the team is hopefully competing for championships, that draft pick would likely be old enough to contribute.
However, there are some alternatives. One of the reasons the Carlo trade worked out so well for the Bruins is the inclusion of Fraser Minten. The 21-year-old attacker has been excellent in Bostonwith 14 goals and 15 assists in 57 games this season.
Instead of pushing for a first-round pick in 2025, the Bruins were willing to be flexible, and they knocked it out of the park. The Flyers may want to do the same thing: acquire an underrated prospect who, if committed, could be an immediate NHL contributor.
Likewise, the Flyers might be better off pursuing an established prospect instead of a draft pick. Someone like Max Plante of the Detroit Red Wings, a team mentioned in Di Marco’s article, would be a slam dunk. The 2024 second-round pick is dominating the college scene and is likely at the point where he can turn pro next season.
It is possible that Ristolainen’s value will be slightly lower than that of Carlo or Chiarot. Either way, the Flyers need to explore all options.
Don’t: Exchange Ristolainen for a Pick to Reach on a Center
Because what the Flyers can’t do is trade for a first-round pick to acquire a center — or any positional need for that matter — something they should avoid. There cannot be a repeat of 2024 and 2025.
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Even after trading for Trevor Zegras and extending Noah Cates and Christian Dvorak, the Flyers need help at center. It’s a thirst they haven’t been able to quench, despite their concerted efforts to do so. However, continuing to implement the design is a big no-no.
Say what you want about 2024 and 2025 first-round picks Jett Luchanko and Jack Nesbitt, but prospect experts believe the two centers don’t have star upside. Many expect them to be third liners.
Could the analysts be wrong? Yes, absolutely. Would spending countless valuable draft picks at the same position, praying to find a diamond in the rough, be a bad path to take? Also yes.
The center position is important, and it’s an area the Flyers still need to address. But at this point it would be smarter to take the best player available. You don’t win cups with inefficient drafting.
Do: Give Oliver Bonk a chance
If Ristollainen is moved, the Flyers will have a hole on their right side. They could turn someone like Noah Juulsen into an everyday defender again by putting him on the third pair. Conversely, they could also give Oliver Bonk a chance to show what he has to offer in the 2023 first round.
For Bonk, this season was all about learning what it takes to become a pro. He missed the first few months of the season due to injury, but has since played in 24 games for the American Hockey League (AHL) Lehigh Valley Phantoms, recording eight points.
On paper, it might make more sense to let Bonk develop further in the AHL. But given the Flyers’ series of calls, head coach John Snowden’s club has been let in a difficult place. The team has been very inconsistent since the American Thanksgiving.
There’s really no harm to be done by calling Bonk. If he struggles, he can be sent back down. If he impresses, there is less uncertainty about where he will play in 2026-2027. As a rebuilding team almost destined to miss the playoffs, the Flyers owe it to themselves to see what they’ve got.
Don’t: Pursue a veteran replacement for Ristolainen
What the Flyers shouldn’t do is go free and acquire Ristolainen 2.0. As important as the veteran has been to the defense over the years, the Orange and Black have no good reason to look for a replacement.
While a young Flyers club was in the playoffs for almost the entire first half of this season, they are not “close.” As much as fans want to see a good hockey team in Philadelphia again, the goal of the 2026-2027 campaign should be more about the youth than earning a wild card spot.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to enter a depth option. But spending a lot of money on a Ristolainen replacement because you fear regression is foolish. Embracing youth should take priority over potentially squeezing out an extra ranking point or two.
Do you want the Flyers to trade Ristolainen? If so, what return are you looking for? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section!
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