Value of: Rasmus Ristolainen

[Stubu]

Me too, but I also feel like good teams stay away from guys like him. He can eat minutes, he can do things on offense, but he’s not great at just limiting mistakes in a 2nd or 3rd pairing role.

I was a Risto truther, but at this point I don’t think he’ll change. You know the “can’t walk and chew gum at the same time” shtick? That’s Risto with outlet passes, he can’t skate and make a pass to save his life. I feel like the habits came from being thrown to the wolves on awful Sabres squads and just having to chip it off the boards all the time, and he’s just never grown from that. You can see him thinking out there, it never comes naturally.

Anyways, will be curious to see if he moves. Maybe Edmonton or someone seriously in need of help.

I think you nailed it, including the root cause.

I asked Sabres fans about him halfway through his rookie year and they seemed genuinely happy to have finally got the legit 1D they needed. (This was before Dahlin's drafting, obviously.) Clearly he didn't appear to be so braindead then. 20-20 hindsight and all that, but he would have needed a solid good vet to mentor and shelter him from the get go.

By season three most everyone was getting sick and tired of his defensive brainfarts despite the offensive tools. And the physicality perpetually had the flip side of truly dumb penalties. [My really scorchio takes are only getting hotter...]

Some come carrying the toolbox, some don't and need it developed for them. He didn't.

His value now? Beats me. Chances of evolving? Slim but still there.

 

[Asymmetric Solution]

Think he’d be a better winger acting as a PF.

 

[OneSniffTwoSniff]

To my beerleague team:
Rasmus Ristolainen (99,9%retained)

To Philly:
35% Coupon to Footlocker
Cooper Sk100 helmet
Bag of pucks.


Seriously though, he could be a nice fit with the Leafs playing #4 role or something

 

[CanuckistanFlyerfan]

Remember all the hype from Flyers fans before the season started over this guy? Everyone else was like......nah....

Ya, I said we grossly overpaid for a guy with zero hockey IQ.

The hype.

 

[CanuckistanFlyerfan]

Ristolainen is going to resign with the Flyers for 7 years at 7.5 million. Before everyone says that is a stupid signing, remember who the GM is. If he doesn't resign him, the GM looks bad because he gave up a 1st, 2nd, and a 5-6 d-man for him. Fletcher has to try to double down on his mistake.

Risto's camp is probably asking for 5 years at 5 mil, and Fletcher comes in and says "Oh yeah? I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse - 7 years at 7.5." That's how Fletcher does negotiations. He thinks that you have to go higher than what the party is asking for. It is the only way most of his contracts make any sense.

If Risto were to be traded at the deadline, he would only recoup a 3rd plus cap dump at best. Fletcher has the Holmgren methodology of refusing to have 2nd round picks, so he certainly isn't going to ask for one in a trade, and Risto is not worth a 1st.

Too many people are thinking about what a normal GM would get in a trade. Just stop. This is Chuck Fletcher. Think of a good trade, and then cut it in a third and that's what Fletcher asks for.

He probably will sign him. And he'll randomly send out a 2nd rounder to some team just cause he got him to sign his overpaid overtermed contract.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

I don't think I'd want to acquire or dress this player if I was a playoff team.

 

[Chainshot]

To my beerleague team:
Rasmus Ristolainen (99,9%retained)

To Philly:
35% Coupon to Footlocker
Cooper Sk100 helmet
Bag of pucks.


Seriously though, he could be a nice fit with the Leafs playing #4 role or something

Are they new pucks?

 

[Faceboner]

Are they new pucks?

Nah used blue ones

 

[Martin Skoula]

If he gets moved to a playoff team where he plays anything higher than bottom pair minutes, I'd put money on him directly costing them at least a game.

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

He kind of makes me think of a Quarterback who throws the ball wherever the receiver is supposed to be on a specific play without reading the field and seeing if that player is actually going to be in position. Sometimes it looks like he's passing the puck to where he thinks the other player is "supposed" to be and not where they are actually going.

This is actually an uncannily accurate analogy

 

[Pantokrator]

I don't think I'd want to acquire or dress this player if I was a playoff team.

He'd be good to have in reserve in case someone gets hurt. Maybe a 3rd or 4th round pick for him.

 

[nickdawg95]

I don't know why but i see him going to pittsburgh

 

[Fogelhund]

He'd be good to have in reserve in case someone gets hurt. Maybe a 3rd or 4th round pick for him.

He wouldn't be a bad #7, if his cap hit was below $1 mil, and could be buried... but $5.4 mil is an albatross nobody wants.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

I wonder how he would do in Colorado. Even jack johnson is playing.. not super well but still playing.

 

[Gurglesons]

I wonder how he would do in Colorado. Even jack johnson is playing.. not super well but still playing.

He’s actually pretty much prime JJ.

Out of position physicality, solid on the PP and just no IQ.

 

[Patagonia]

I wonder how he would do in Colorado. Even jack johnson is playing.. not super well but still playing.

Sakic really wanted him over Zadorov. Both players had low IQ and moved into drafting character and high IQ players. Risto would be nice bottom pairing dependent on salary.

 

[TheKingPin]

He is not the worst positionally. He’s way better than Yandle and Andrew MacDonald in that sense. He can be good on offense but he needs to drive to the net more. Even if there are set plays to allow for that. He needs to score more to cover himself.

 

[DarthProbert]

I wonder how he would do in Colorado. Even jack johnson is playing.. not super well but still playing.

Guy's a PP specialist, but because he's big and hits, coaches and teams keep trying to make him a defensive D with too many minutes. He's more Keith Yandle than Justin Braun. On the Avs, he's closer to being a Makar who hits than he is to being some defensively-oriented partner for a Girard or Toews or Byram.
Now we're how many years into watching NHL coaches show us how they totally know better than every fan who's watched him play. I thought offensively-oriented RHD were supposed to be some hot commodity, but I guess it's also a requirement that they be small and soft.

 

[1865]

The only thing that gives me hope here is that Fletcher isn't the only GM stupid enough to think he's a good player.

 

[Curufinwe]

Guy's a PP specialist, but because he's big and hits, coaches and teams keep trying to make him a defensive D with too many minutes. He's more Keith Yandle than Justin Braun.

That's accurate.

NHL Stats

Braun +2

Ristolainen -12
Yandle -27

 

[MarkusKetterer]

If he gets moved to a playoff team where he plays anything higher than bottom pair minutes, I'd put money on him directly costing them at least a game.

I mean, that’s an easy bet to make. A better one would be to say that DOESN’T happen, simply because the payoff is better.