Confirmed Signing with Link: [BUF] Sabres re-sign Rasmus Ristolainen (6 years, $5.4M AAV)

[PopeInTheWoods]

gotta figure it's somewhat comparable for Lindholm. Maybe 6 x 6 for him

Yes, as Lindholm has proven more so far and is therefore less of a risk. Maybe 6 x 5.75, 7 x 6.25, or 8 x (6.5 - 7) to reflect more UFA years bought?

 

[Kryten]

Advanced stats people hate him.

Eye testers love him.

I wonder who will eventually be right

Find out on the next episode of dragonball z

 

[chubeyr]

Nice signing for Buffalo,

I am a Flames fan and this guy always seems to tear us apart.

Good price, good term.

On a side note, cant believe TJ Brodie's contract. Ristolainen's contract could end up like this too. An absolute steal!

 

[AustonsNostrils]

Eyeball test on Risto is all I need - he's big, nasty and competitive, offensive with potential for more, with experience and a better partner and teammates his defensive game will improve - he may never be a shutdown dman, watching him that part of the game doesn't come instinctively to him. He changed his diet dramatically last year, leaned out lost baby fat - I'd like to see him put some bulk on.

 

[I am not exposed]

Sigh. After seeing these recent signings it feels like the panthers have some of worst negotiators in the league for rfas.

 

[spacemunky]

Great deal!

Looking forward to many years with Risto

 

[threeVo]

Very happy to have Risto for 6 more years. But I hate that Buffalo only bought 1 year of UFA. I guess it's kinda worth it though, to get him for $5.4M per year. Maybe they just couldn't agree on the AAV of a longer (or shorter) deal, with more precedent for the 6 year deals than there is for 8yrs.

I think that this deal will look like a total steal in the next couple of years. t least that's the hope anyway...

Realistically if the team doesnt win the cup in that 6 year window we probably wont anyway. Team has this year and next to gel, then the next 2-4 to be that perennial contender type. If that goes as planned you hope its cup time.

 

[Toronto makebeleifs]

Guh... darn buffalo, might actually have to cross the border to catch a few games.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

these contracts everyone is signing are making trouba look like a tool IMO. He shouldn't be near 5 mill per year after seeing what better dmen around his age are signing

 

[toomuchsauce]

Advanced stats people hate him.

Eye testers love him.

I wonder who will eventually be right

I can't wait to see. WAIT NO I didn't mean "see" because that would imply I'm eye-testing and, as we all know by now, that is always wrong. So, we most definitely will not "see" anything about Ristolainen. Wait. Other than charts. We'll see charts. We have to see charts, too, I guess, so maybe seeing things is okay. But seeing "hockey" is definitely not okay. WAIT NO....

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

I can't wait to see. WAIT NO I didn't mean "see" because that would imply I'm eye-testing and, as we all know by now, that is always wrong. So, we most definitely will not "see" anything about Ristolainen. Wait. Other than charts. We'll see charts. We have to see charts, too, I guess, so maybe seeing things is okay. But seeing "hockey" is definitely not okay. WAIT NO....

No, you can watch it, but as soon as you tally an event you're missing context and a NERD (and therefore wrong).

 

[obey86]

The one thing I don't understand (and this doesn't just pertain to Ristolainen) is that people think it's some sort of great accomplishment to play big minutes against good competition and get destroyed on the ice. Stop bringing up players playing against good players and getting destroyed as a GOOD thing. It's not.

 

[BB88]

The one thing I don't understand (and this doesn't just pertain to Ristolainen) is that people think it's some sort of great accomplishment to play big minutes against good competition and get destroyed on the ice. Stop bringing up players playing against good players and getting destroyed as a GOOD thing. It's not.

Risto was carrying that blueline last year.

 

[Samsonite23]

The one thing I don't understand (and this doesn't just pertain to Ristolainen) is that people think it's some sort of great accomplishment to play big minutes against good competition and get destroyed on the ice. Stop bringing up players playing against good players and getting destroyed as a GOOD thing. It's not.

The problem is people don't watch to see he had ups and downs against top competition. They don't watch and see that's what happened. They just look at corsi and don't take into account the fact that he had a bad team with an awful partner that dragged his stats even farther down. Ups and downs against top competition with top minutes while putting up 40+ point is pretty awesome for a 21 year old that is obviously going to get better considering his skill set and worth ethic.

 

[Snippit]

Risto played like a #1 for the first half of last year, and a second pairing guy for the second half.

 

[Havok89]

The one thing I don't understand (and this doesn't just pertain to Ristolainen) is that people think it's some sort of great accomplishment to play big minutes against good competition and get destroyed on the ice. Stop bringing up players playing against good players and getting destroyed as a GOOD thing. It's not.

Ristolainen was fed to the wolves last year at 21 years of age. Logged huge minutes against top competition, and had very little help doing so. I don't believe any young defenseman in this league would have handled that situation much better. Analytics won't tell the whole story with Ristolainen.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

my keeper league team approves of this contract.
now please Lindholm sign a similar deal.

 

[zar]

Congrats Sabre fans!

Fair deal for 5RFA + 1UFA season.

He might not be an advance stat darling - but he looks like the real deal.

 

[sabrebuild]

The one thing I don't understand (and this doesn't just pertain to Ristolainen) is that people think it's some sort of great accomplishment to play big minutes against good competition and get destroyed on the ice. Stop bringing up players playing against good players and getting destroyed as a GOOD thing. It's not.

Apparently a great enough accomplishment to get a big deal from the Sabres and be Finland's top defender, now and in the future.

Is it possible your missing something?

 

[Dogewow]

Great contract. Was sure that it was gonna be more, but this is definitely good for both sides.

On a side note, this thread is making me hate analytics. It's a useful tool, but people using it incorrectly is getting out of hand. Can people actually watch the player and use analytics? Instead of misusing it as a tool and ignoring context?

 

[zar]

The one thing I don't understand (and this doesn't just pertain to Ristolainen) is that people think it's some sort of great accomplishment to play big minutes against good competition and get destroyed on the ice. Stop bringing up players playing against good players and getting destroyed as a GOOD thing. It's not.

Exactly. It's not a good thing.

The problem is people don't watch to see he had ups and downs against top competition. They don't watch and see that's what happened. They just look at corsi and don't take into account the fact that he had a bad team with an awful partner that dragged his stats even farther down. Ups and downs against top competition with top minutes while putting up 40+ point is pretty awesome for a 21 year old that is obviously going to get better considering his skill set and worth ethic.

Darnell Nurse was a victim of this as well.

 

[obey86]

Apparently a great enough accomplishment to get a big deal from the Sabres and be Finland's top defender, now and in the future.

Is it possible your missing something?

There are lots of things to like about Ristolainen now and for the future. Terrible on ice results against good competition aren't one of them... but people spin it as if it's a positive somehow. Every player in the league could play tough competition and have terrible on ice results if given the chance, that's all I'm saying.

It may be an excuse for his underlying numbers, but it's not a positive. There's a difference.

 

[Whileee]

Lindholm is worth a bit more IMO

Trouba is right in the Risto wheelhouse IMO...he just wants out of Winnipeg

Risto will be depositing his pay cheques while Trouba waits, and waits, and waits....

 

[BowieSabresFan]

There are lots of things to like about Ristolainen now and for the future. Terrible on ice results against good competition aren't one of them... but people spin it as if it's a positive somehow. Every player in the league could play tough competition and have terrible on ice results if given the chance, that's all I'm saying.

It may be an excuse for his underlying numbers, but it's not a positive. There's a difference.

It seems as if you are basing your opinion mainly on poorly-used advanced stats. Others have explained the issue in doing this with regards to Ristolainen.

 

[King In The North]

For some bloody reason people just think because they're called "advanced stats" they can pull a number that magically paints the picture on how he really is.

How long before people know how to correctly use statistics? You can't just a pull a metric and say "he's worse than X". You might as well go back to using +/- to describe what kind of defensive ability one has.