Value of: Ristolainen to Toronto.

[Lambo]

Ristolainen ist a better option than Ristolinen for Toronto.

 

[lauraP]

Why is this thread still open then? You want Ristalainen but don't want to give up ANYTHING? Unbelievable

yeah anything of remote value is untouchable from the leafs,

Ceci for risto plus our 2020 first cause risto is a cap dump, but we still want him though.

 

[Didalee Hed]

It's Ristolainen, Not Ristolinen.

Maybe if his name is too intimidating to spell, people can call him Risty Party.

 

[LeafGrief]

yeah anything of remote value is untouchable from the leafs,

Ceci for risto plus our 2020 first cause risto is a cap dump, but we still want him though.

Pretty much. The guy is an NHL hockey player and I’m sure Buffalo is happy with him, but we need him about as much as a hole in the head. Like, he’s good enough that if he fell out of the sky it would be worth dealing with the headaches to accommodate him, but he’s not good enough that we’d pay for the privilege of those headaches.

We’re almost certainly going to let Tyson Barrie walk as a UFA this summer, why on earth would we be interested in paying value for Risto to be the same problem? Someone else might give you value, doubt it’s us.

 

[lauraP]

Pretty much. The guy is an NHL hockey player and I’m sure Buffalo is happy with him, but we need him about as much as a hole in the head. Like, he’s good enough that if he fell out of the sky it would be worth dealing with the headaches to accommodate him, but he’s not good enough that we’d pay for the privilege of those headaches.

We’re almost certainly going to let Tyson Barrie walk as a UFA this summer, why on earth would we be interested in paying value for Risto to be the same problem? Someone else might give you value, doubt it’s us.

A leaf fans made the trade offer, But that’s what buffalo would want from the leafs, you guys got that Finnish d-man who will replace Barrie or lilli if he’s up for the task

 

[flying v 604]

it would have to be kerfoot + johnsson that would probably be have to go back in the deal to make it work out cap wise, and i wouldn't give up those two for risto, so no bueno

You expect to get a young minute munching top 4 RHD for a couple of guys that lets face it are players that every team has in abundance. Risto was the Sabres best and most improved D who on a better team has a very good chance to be dominant.
As a Nucks fan, I hope there was traction to the rumours that Benning has targeted him. I would expect Jake who proved with top 6 mins and pp time he's still trending up along with a high pick and Demko and maybe baer or Rousell to balance the salary.

 

[rent free]

You expect to get a young minute munching top 4 RHD for a couple of guys that lets face it are players that every team has in abundance. Risto was the Sabres best and most improved D who on a better team has a very good chance to be dominant.
As a Nucks fan, I hope there was traction to the rumours that Benning has targeted him. I would expect Jake who proved with top 6 mins and pp time he's still trending up along with a high pick and Demko and maybe baer or Rousell to balance the salary.

so you don't think two middle-6 players would get risto, but you think *one* middle-6 player, a high draft pick, an expensive ahler and a 4th liner gets it done? congrats. you just made no sense.

 

[7even]

I hope you re sign him based on that evaluation. Basically improved cause you allowed him to roam free creating offense and also played in Rielly's spot on the PP.

Leafs don't need anymore offensive D men, you guys need defensive beast who can move the puck and make the simple plays. Until you get that, you will lose to teams like the Bruins who have a complete team at both ends and are well balanced

I don't disagree with the spirit of your conclusion, but people like to talk about those series as if they were foregone conclusions and not the two tight 7 game series they actually were.

 

[untouchable21]

It's Ristolainen, Not Ristolinen.

Ristolinen - soft as your bed sheets.

 

[FerrisRox]

I'm a much bigger fan of Risto than most around here (though I acknowledge he rarely gets all the pieces of his game working at the same time) but he's a guy I'd happily roll the dice on in the hopes that a change of scenery might spark him and he can put it all together.

I think he'd be a very interesting addition to to the Leafs and certainly a better fit than Cody Ceci or Tyson Barrie.

 

[ViewsFromThe6ix]

Risto is literally the last dman in the league Dubas would acquire.

 

[Byron Bitz]

Who knows what Dubas tries to do... shouldn't you guys do nothing until Pietrangelo decides his future? No cap space but if he wants to sign in Toronto for lets say... $9M AAV... you do what it takes to make it happen.... starting with Nylander cause he can be moved for value and frees up $7M

If A-Pete wants to sign in Toronto I think one of the big four forwards gets traded for futures to make cap space for him

 

[biotk]

I also think Ristolinen and Muzzin could work well as a pair going forward.

I think they would work well together, but I don't picture them as a likely normal pairing. If the Leafs' acquired Risto they would have two D who are tough. Makes little sense to put them on the same pairing if the other two pairings are super soft. Risto has always been pretty good in the offensive zone. He is good in the defensive zone when it comes to clearing the front of the net and breaking the cycle. He is very physical and mean. The Leafs' need that on every pairing except the Muzzin one. Where Risto is weak - and significantly weak - is in transition. All of the Leafs' D are strong in transition.


In my view there would be two possibilities. One possibility is where one of Dermott, Lehtonen or Sandin make it clear in camp that they must be on the top-4. The other possibility is where none of those three do.

In the former case (which is my preference) I could see:
Muzzin - Rielly
Dermott/Lehtonen/Sandin - Risto

Muzzin and Rielly do the heavy lifting. Risto and whoever get traditional second pairing duties.​

In the latter case I could see:
Muzzin - Holl
Rielly - Risto

Muzzin and Holl get more defensive duty. Rielly and Risto more offensive duty.

I know most will disagree but I think he COULD fit.

Doesn't really matter if everyone will disagree. Dubas has had talks with the Sabres. It probably doesn't go anywhere, especially as the talks were apparently punted to the summer for cap reasons and it was expected at the time that the salary cap would go up this summer, but Dubas doesn't care what anyone on here thinks.

The question is cost

No idea. The cap likely being only 81.5M means that there are not a lot of workable options. The Leafs' would have to send out more than they bring in. When I did some capfriendly roster simulations I was looking at Kerfoot and Johnsson for Risto. I would potentially add to the deal if Buffalo was willing to retain, as Colorado did with Barrie albeit for only one season. At that point in time does it make sense for Toronto? That is up to Dubas to decide, but regardless the Leafs' are probably going to need the offload one of their forward contracts (Johnsson, Kerfoot, Kapanen) just to be cap compliant anyway. It would be difficult to bring in any top-4 RD without sending out two of those forwards (of course, there is always the possibility that the Leafs' could sign someone like Pietro if they traded away the cap of someone like Marner, or Nylander+ but I don't think that is likely).

 

[SnizzNasty88]

Why is this thread still open then? You want Ristalainen but don't want to give up ANYTHING? Unbelievable

Players like Johnsson, Kerfoot and maybe Dermott are expendable in a Ristolainen deal, not a good, young player who plays in all situations and has untapped potential in Mikheyev.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Risto is literally the last dman in the league Dubas would acquire.

You sure? We know the Leafs and Buffalo have had talks

 

[Hasekperreault23]

Ristolinen - soft as your bed sheets.

You just showed your knowledge about Risto with that quote

 

[Habs Halifax]

I don't disagree with the spirit of your conclusion, but people like to talk about those series as if they were foregone conclusions and not the two tight 7 game series they actually were.

That's what happens when you face the top teams with less holes... you fight hard but loose in the end. Against a team like the Rangers, you will win cause their D sucks too lol.

 

[Halla]

From buffalo,
Mikheyev and one of Kapanen / Johnsson

lol. Johnsson maybe. no to the other two straight up let alone mikheyev + kap

 

[Halla]

Why is this thread still open then? You want Ristalainen but don't want to give up ANYTHING? Unbelievable

we dont want risto. look at 95% of the responses

 

[biotk]

You just showed your knowledge about Risto with that quote

The poster made a joke based on the incorrect spelling of his name.

 

[is the answer jesus]

Players like Johnsson, Kerfoot and maybe Dermott are expendable in a Ristolainen deal, not a good, young player who plays in all situations and has untapped potential in Mikheyev.

A meh 3rd line center, a middle 6 winger coming off a serious knee injury or a defenseman that regressed last year, needs a new contract this offseason, and that Buffalo doesn't even need. The pieces Leaf fans are offering don't move the needle at all.

 

[Satanphonehome]

There is no other team in the league (aside from maybe some bottom feeders) that is so thin on defense that Risto would get 25 minutes of ice time or 4+ minutes of PP time a game. Him scoring 40 points is 100% a product of being on a bad Buffalo team that simply lacks better options for those minutes. Risto's production would drop like a rock as soon as he starts playing the 18-20 minutes MAX he should be playing with how garbage his defense is.

Colin Miller played regular minutes on a cup finalist. Brandon Montour played regular minutes on a good Anaheim blueline. Henri Jokiharju got regular minutes for Joel Quenville. Marco Scandella was acquired by the defending Stanley Cup champion and inserted into their top 4. Rasmus Dahlin is a 1st overall pick who is 2nd all-time in points by a teenage defenceman. I’ve got no proof, but I suspect Jake McCabe would get regular minutes for most NHL teams. Ristolainen got more minutes than all of them.

So my question is: are you sure?

 

[biotk]

a defenseman that regressed last year

Dermott did not regress last year. People who only look at advanced stats might think so, but that is a problem with advanced stats, not Dermott's play.

 

[Satanphonehome]

As far as trading Risto to Toronto, am I the only who thinks the Sabres will be reluctant to watch him doing his nasty boy thing to Eichel four times a year, or driving Skinner to distraction?

I suspect the Leaf would have to pay a premium to compensate, and I suspect it’s a premium they would not be willing to pay. Never mind that the players the Leafs might make available are less than perfect fits in Buffalo.

The Sabres need a middle six winger, so they would have interest in Kapanen, but Botterill’s words and actions have so far made it clear that Risto will only be moved in a deal for a bigger chip than a 40-point winger. He might cave. He’s not a great GM. A deal around Risto and Kadri might have worked, but that ship as sailed.

 

[Funk21]

His underlying stats are awful. He is not what we need at all. If we were looking for someone to pair with Muzzin that would be great. The fact that it’s going to cost considerable assets to attain him is another issue. Just not a good fit IMO.