Standing in the locker room on Tuesday after his first practice with the Flyers since returning from a bronze-medal-winning twirl at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, Rasmus Ristolainen didn’t let the question finish before agreeing.
“Your name has popped up around trade deadlines in your time here,” the reporter started.
The Flyers defenseman interjected with a smile — or maybe a smirk — and a “Yep.”
He’s still here, but like sand through an hourglass, is this the year the days of Ristolainen in Philly run out? Decisions will have to be made by 3 p.m. on March 6.
“Yeah, obviously, those are things you can’t really control,” Ristolainen said. “You obviously try to do your part, get better every day, and what happens, happens.”
What makes this year different from last year, when his name was brought up, is that the big Finn is healthy — his last two seasons were shut down in February and March — and has a more favorable contract. He has one more season left (at a relatively cheap $5.1 million) on the deal he signed with then-general manager Chuck Fletcher in 2022.
There’s also the fact that in the days leading up to the trade deadline last year, then-coach John Tortorella famously said of the 6-foot-4, 208-pound blueliner: “If you trade him Friday, then on Saturday, you say, ‘[Expletive], I need a big, right-handed defenseman.’” But now Oliver Bonk (6-2, 205) is playing well at Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, and Spencer Gill (6-4, 213) is climbing the depth chart.
Couple that with his impressive performance at the Olympics, and teams are circling. During the almost-two-week tournament in Italy, Ristolainen showcased a physical, two-way game while posting three assists, tied a tournament-best plus-9 rating, and won a bronze medal he’s happy he didn’t lose after the game.
Does his play at the Olympics give him confidence moving forward?
“I hope so,” the 31-year-old said. “Obviously, I feel really confident about my game, so hopefully I can bring it here, and we have a good run here.”
But “here” may be changing.
There are suitors, and a source told The Inquirer that more and more teams are checking in on him every day. One team interested is the Edmonton Oilers, according to Daily Faceoff, and The Inquirer can confirm that they also were looking at the defenseman last season before he got hurt. Daily Faceoff also mentioned the Dallas Stars, who have several Finns on the roster, including Ristolainen’s roommate in the athlete village at the Olympics, Mikko Rantanen.
Dallas was one of eight teams listed as having a scout at the Flyers’ game Wednesday in Washington. However, it’s fair to note that one was with the New York Rangers, whom the Flyers beat in overtime on Thursday. There again were more than a half-dozen scouts on hand for the Rangers game, with the Chase Bridge’s scout row packed to the gills. Although the teams are not listed at Madison Square Garden, The Inquirer could identify at least six of the organizations that were there, including the Oilers.
Although several scouts are regulars in the area, when asked if they were there to see Ristolainen, one scout responded: “Isn’t everyone?”
Already an interesting piece for teams because of his size and a highly coveted right shot, the defenseman is strong in his own end and has some offensive upside — Wednesday night in the Flyers’ 3-1 loss to the Capitals, Ristolainen weaved around the defense as he came down from the point and put a good shot on goal. According to Natural Stat Trick, he had four shot attempts, three of which were from high-danger spots, three scoring chances, and one blocked shot.
On Thursday night, under the bright lights of Broadway, Ristolainen had one shot on goal — a low point shot through traffic that created a rebound for Carl Grundström, who snagged it and sent a tricky turnaround shot on goal from the slot. The Flyers had just eight shot attempts and seven shots on goal when he was on the ice, while the Rangers had 19 and 14; however, the Sam Carrick opening goal was a bad miscue by Sam Ersson, and he was on the ice for Trevor Zegras’ game-tying goal.
With the Flyers’ playoff hopes dwindling by the minute — as of Friday afternoon, they are eight points back of the last spot in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference’s second wild card — a change of scenery could help the Finn make the first postseason appearance of his career. He’s in Season 13 and is currently the longest-tenured active player without a postseason game, having played in his 797th game on Thursday.
“I feel like that’s why you play the game. You want to win, and that’s where I feel I’m at my best,” Ristolainen said Tuesday. “And in the tournament, it was nice to obviously play games that mean so much.
“That’s always what I believe, I trust in myself,” he added, “and the bigger the stage is, I feel, the better I perform.”
Like Sean Walker two seasons ago and Scott Laughton last year, could the clock be ticking on Ristolainen’s tenure in Philly?
It sounds like teams won’t start ramping up legitimate offers for a few more days — as their teams lay the groundwork for the rest of the season, desperation sets in, and options dwindle — and the Flyers are listening. But, like the return for those two players, the Flyers’ brass would like a first-round pick.
In the end, it does take two to tango. So who wants to dance in March?
