Rasmus Ristolainen: The $5M, 0 percentile defenseman

[rinaldo]

I know right because like that's what he told me when we were hanging out one day he said I have absolutely no interest in Philly like many free agents who also don't like Philly either.

That is a great story. Do you have anymore?

 

[Beef Invictus]

It is a simple yes or no question. I suspect you know the answer and just do not want to answer it.

I don't know the answer. Why don't you provide examples?

 

[rinaldo]

I don't know the answer. Why don't you provide examples?

Sure you do. Give your opinion then.

 

[Starat327]

Can we give it even 10 regular season games before we start the threads? I mean I love new threads as much as the next guy! Usually, give me new threads every day, twice a day, I say.

If you wanted Ristolainen to be a Hoggian disaster in 2 preseason games, he hasn’t been. There’s even been a few positive signs, although you can tell his processing speed is inconsistent. But it means jack shit after 2 preseason games. And there will be a whole lot of context to any evaluation — past, present, and (gulp) future.

Why wait for a new thread? Did you see that hit last night after that P Giroux got leveled and did nothing?! Should re-sign Risto now before his value rises even higher!

Ristomaniacs, round up!

 

[Lord Defect]

Ghost was gone in any case, that had nothing to do with obtaining Risto, this board is the only space in the universe where he's considered better than Yandle - that is, a limited 3rd pair D-man with offensive chops who has to be sheltered on defense. Yandle is keeping a spot warm for York.

If they played ghost in the exact same capacity as yandle this year, minutes and usage, ghost would easily out perform Yandle. Ghost was on the outs with management and as such, was not getting the chances that Yandle will get this year.

 

[Asnito]

The knob slobbin of Risto last night and naming him player of the game was embarrassing.

 

[Beef Invictus]

His hits are at least fun.

Hogg taking himself out of position to bump a guy feebly after he makes a play wasn't fun to watch on any level. At least Risto can hit hard enough to bruise the guy. He still pulls himself out of position chasing those hits, but they aren't strictly useless like Hogg.

There. That's one upgrade. I'm optimistic and positive. Praise me.

 

[deadhead]

If they played ghost in the exact same capacity as yandle this year, minutes and usage, ghost would easily out perform Yandle. Ghost was on the outs with management and as such, was not getting the chances that Yandle will get this year.

Ghsot was 130th among D-men in pp/60 at 5x5 the last two years.
Keep pretending he's 2017 Ghost.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Ghsot was 130th among D-men in pp/60 at 5x5 the last two years.
Keep pretending he's 2017 Ghost.

I said praise me

 

[FLYguy3911]

Give him a chance guys. At least wait until the 3rd game of the season when he hits 13,000 minutes in the NHL.

 

[Asnito]

I said praise me

Beef you need to be more forceful in getting your point across. Try this

Spoiler: Praise me

 

[GapToothedWonder]

His hits are at least fun.

Hogg taking himself out of position to bump a guy feebly after he makes a play wasn't fun to watch on any level. At least Risto can hit hard enough to bruise the guy. He still pulls himself out of position chasing those hits, but they aren't strictly useless like Hogg.

There. That's one upgrade. I'm optimistic and positive. Praise me.

Yeah I enjoyed that big hit at the blue line even though i saw it was a stupid play to make. I also enjoyed the one on Hathaway and whoever he hit next.

I don't except Risto to be very good, and I don't expect the team in general to be entertaining, but watching him run around and actually hit to hurt will be enjoyable. Enough to get me to look back to the screen that I have the game on at least.

Do I get praised now?

 

[Beef Invictus]

Yeah I enjoyed that big hit at the blue line even though i saw it was a stupid play to make. I also enjoyed the one on Hathaway and whoever he hit next.

I don't except Risto to be very good, and I don't expect the team in general to be entertaining, but watching him run around and actually hit to hurt will be enjoyable. Enough to get me to look back to the screen that I have the game on at least.

Do I get praised now?

I certainly think you should be praised.

 

[Lord Defect]

His hits are at least fun.

Hogg taking himself out of position to bump a guy feebly after he makes a play wasn't fun to watch on any level. At least Risto can hit hard enough to bruise the guy. He still pulls himself out of position chasing those hits, but they aren't strictly useless like Hogg.

There. That's one upgrade. I'm optimistic and positive. Praise me.

I love you. I totally forgot we ditched him.

 

[Lord Defect]

Ghsot was 130th among D-men in pp/60 at 5x5 the last two years.
Keep pretending he's 2017 Ghost.

Keep pretending the staff gave him any chance to play.
Is he 2017 ghost? Nope. Not close.
Is he an albatross that we needed to pay to dump him? f*** no.
Is one or two year from retirement Yandle better than ghost? Again, f*** no.

 

[Asnito]

Yeah I enjoyed that big hit at the blue line even though i saw it was a stupid play to make. I also enjoyed the one on Hathaway and whoever he hit next.

I don't except Risto to be very good, and I don't expect the team in general to be entertaining, but watching him run around and actually hit to hurt will be enjoyable. Enough to get me to look back to the screen that I have the game on at least.

Do I get praised now?

Here you get one too

 

[TCTC]

Ghost doesn't bring enough to the table these days to justify a $3.6m pay gap between him and Yandle. I take Yandle at $900.000 any day of the week.

 

[Magua]

Yandle has savvy to make up for it, but his escapability and individual exits/entries will be a sharp downgrade from Ghost, at the least. When the forwards bail the zone, as the system dictates, we’ll see how Yandle does against a good forecheck because he’s a below average skater at this stage. Ghost’s agility and body fakes could often singularly bail out the scheme to get controlled NZ plays.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Yeah I have a feeling Yandle's mobility is going to get exposed at some point. The skill and deception isn't going away, but mobility for a player that was never all that savvy defensively is a dangerous combo. I'm thinking he ends up performing something like late career Streit.

 

[Lord Defect]

Ghost doesn't bring enough to the table these days to justify a $3.6m pay gap between him and Yandle. I take Yandle at $900.000 any day of the week.

That’s not the equation on hand. It’s ghosts cap hit, plus the payment to move him, plus the picks, versus Yandle.
If we moved ghost for a positive return, I’d be all for Yandle, depending on the positive return, but we literally paid to move ghost to sign an inferior player of ghosts ilk that will retire in a year or two.

 

[Lord Defect]

Yandle has savvy to make up for it, but his escapability and individual exits/entries will be a sharp downgrade from Ghost, at the least. When the forwards bail the zone, as the system dictates, we’ll see how Yandle does against a good forecheck because he’s a below average skater at this stage. Ghost’s agility and body fakes could often singularly bail out the scheme to get controlled NZ plays.

In 2017, absolutely, now, maybe not. He’s still more mobile and better overall than Yandle though.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Does Ristolainen bring enough to the table these days to justify a $4.5m pay gap between him and a player on an ELC, plus all of the assets given away to acquire him?

 

[Magua]

Does Ristolainen bring enough to the table these days to justify a $4.5m pay gap between him and a player on an ELC, plus all of the assets given away to acquire him?

I’m putting $10k on a Barry Ashbee trophy.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Ghost doesn't bring enough to the table these days to justify a $3.6m pay gap between him and Yandle. I take Yandle at $900.000 any day of the week.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Yandle has savvy to make up for it, but his escapability and individual exits/entries will be a sharp downgrade from Ghost, at the least. When the forwards bail the zone, as the system dictates, we’ll see how Yandle does against a good forecheck because he’s a below average skater at this stage. Ghost’s agility and body fakes could often singularly bail out the scheme to get controlled NZ plays.

He was our best outlet passer last year because he could use his agility to chang passing angles and make the long bomb passes AV demands.

Who needs players who can execute your system better than anyone else on the roster, though. Hopefully Sanheim has another step he can take in that regard. Hopefully these cranks will let Provorov carry the puck again too.