Prospect Info: Rasmus Ristolainen (2013, 8th) – '14-15: Buffalo #55 (NHL) – 2015: Graduated

[Woodhouse]

Source | Quote and/or Scouting Report

DraftSite​

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Was already a presence on D at the 2011-12 World Juniors, where he was the right point-man on the number one power play, and was asked to step up and fill in at a spot usual occupied by the older junior defenseman. He is big, physical and skilled, and has a low-panic level and shoots the puck hard and fast. He is very mobile and agile as an attacker and power-play pointman. He already plays in a league with grown men and successfully competes. Gets used on both points on the power play. You may not be getting an elite up-ice guy, but more of a highly capable two-way guy who will surprise you when he jumps up into the attack. One of the top defensive prospects of this class and clearly one of the bigger bodies.​

Eliteprospects​

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One of the best defensemen of his age group, Ristolainen was a top-prospect for the 2013 NHL Draft. He is a calm player with good two-way ability and a mature style of play, though his defensive awareness and positioning still need work. More mobile and offensive than Buffalo's other 2013 1st round pick Nikita Zadorov, Ristolainen moves the puck with confidence, has a good shot from the point and has displayed ability to work the powerplay in SM-liiga. Ristolainen has an NHL-ready frame and has gained a lot of strength while playing in SM-liiga and though he is not a big-time hitter, he feels comfortable playing the body and likes to get physical in front of the net.​

ESPN​

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The Sabres get a hulking D-man with true grit and a big-time shot from the point. He plays the game with a nasty edge and I think he'll grows more into his big body. His skating needs a slight improvement. He is the type of player you can build around and the Sabres are in need of building blocks.​

FC​

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Ristolainen is a big, strong blueliner that plays a calm, composed and safe game; not trying to do more than his abilities will allow him to do. A talented skater, he has a plus level athletic body with very good mobility for a player his size. His skating gives him a chance to quickly close in every possible direction within his reach defensively. Ristolainen has some room to grow with his skating as he uses short steps and moves mostly with agility rather than power. He has a good head for the game; keeps his head up and makes smart reads. He has good focus, is ready to contribute in all three zones and wants to make an impact.​

HF​

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Rasmus Ristolainen has the size, skating ability and shooting and stick handling skills that make him an outstanding offensive defenseman prospect. Plays with a physical component to his game and has become more disciplined as he's gained more experience. Still developing in terms of positional play and defensive responsibilities - his calling card is his willingness to be involved in the play and to push the envelope at times.​

Hockey Prospect​

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Ristolainen is an aggressive offensive defenseman who always looks to push the pace whenever he gets the opportunity. He loves to take chances with the puck, and provides a good presence from the backend offensively with his size, hockey sense and puck skills...read more.​

Hockey Prospectus​

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Ristolainen had a quality season in Finland, where he often logged tough, heavy minutes for TPS. That is an impressive role for an 18-year-old defenseman in that league. He is not a flashy player, but he does everything well. He best skill is his hockey sense. He thinks the game at a level well beyond his years, and he does not make many mistakes on the ice. He is an aware, effective defenseman who can close gaps with his body or with his stick. With the puck, he shows calmness, but he can process the game quickly when the situation calls for it. He can man the point on the power play. He is a solid to above-average skater (I have heard an NHL scout classify him as high end in that area). His puck handling is at a similar level; he can flash significant offensive ability, but the bulk of value will come from his work in his own zone. To that point, he will lay the body, and he can provide quality hits. He could fast track to the NHL quicker than a typical defense prospect.​

[URL='http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/nhl-draft-prospects-no-16-rasmus-ristolainen/"]ISS[/URL]​

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“I can’t get enough of Ristolainen,” says Ross MacLean, head scout for International Scouting Services. “He is everything you could want in a defensive prospect. He can do a bit of everything and has been doing it against men already. He is very poised, can play offence and defence, can be aggressive physically or hang back and control middle space effectively. He can play tough, he can play mean and he can play disciplined. He’s a ball of extremely talented clay that is versatile enough that he could be molded into whatever type of defender a team requires in their organization. He is right up there as one of the most NHL-ready prospects in this draft.”​

McKeen's Hockey​

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Big, rugged and strongly-constructed with a thick lower trunk.. plays a mature and confident game .. adept stickhandler and efficient puckmover with good puck-control abilities .. wants to make constructive breakouts and will hold the puck and shield off pressure in order to accomplish his ideas .. gets bull-headed and dead-ends himself at times .. top weapon is a heavy slapshot...read more.​

McKeen's Hockey​

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“Rasmus Ristolainen’s been a household name in the SM-liiga since he was 16,” adds David Burstyn, director of scouting for McKeen’s Hockey. “He’s improved his stats every single year, but he probably factors to be more of a shutdown guy at the NHL level. He played for TPS this year, which wasn’t that great of a team, but he got to log a lot of minutes. The one thing that scouts were a little disappointed with him is that he didn’t overly assertive himself in the second half of the year and he kind of fell off a little bit because he didn’t play with that same type of intensity. He’s a strong skater. He can log the puck up the ice, he’s not afraid to make plays but I think scouts were a little disappointed that he didn’t play up to his size, whereas he has in the past. He’s been in the spotlight for really the last three years and maybe he was unfairly dissected, but he’s got a lot of attributes to be a stout, stay-at-home shutdown defender.”​

Sportsnet​

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Ristolainen plays a solid, well-rounded game. He possesses good size at six-foot-three, 201 pounds, and uses it advantageously to separate his man from the puck and to gain space. Ristolainen plays a very heady game and won’t force a play that isn’t there. He has a good shot and will jump up in the rush at a moment’s notice. His defensive game is polished, his hockey IQ is one of his greatest attributes and he will read and react to plays and situations well. Although his season finished on an underwhelming note, Ristolainen does so many things well that he should be a safe pick for a team seeking a two-way defenceman.​

TSN​

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Rasmus is a player who takes the initiative. He plays with a confidence and assuredness in his game that allows him to make an impact. He has good offensive skills with an excellent shot and he jumps into the attack and even initiates the attack if he feels it's necessary. He will play physical and is a big man whom if he makes contact, you are fully aware of as an opponent. He doesn't get rattled and his composure should not be mistaken for any type of 'laissez-faire' attitude because when the game becomes challenging and the moments important, he is ready, willing and capable of taking a leading role to make a positive difference. A player who is more than capable of being a top four defenceman.​

A/V Club

Draft-Day Interviews

2013.06.30 – Brian Duff interviews Rasmus Ristolainen after being selected 8th overall. <1:45>

2013.06.30 – Rasmus Ristolainen meets with the media after being selected 8th overall. <4:13>

2013.06.30 – Rasmus Ristolainen speaks with Cabbie Richards in TSN's Social Lounge. <6:03>

Full Games

2012.12.31 – Finland U20 vs Sweden U20. <173:59>

YouTube Clips



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[Paxon]

Great pick! WOOOOO NO NICHUSHKIN

No one fell to us unfortunately, board went just like I thought and we picked the guy I wanted them to.

 

[pyroxen]

Welcome RR

 

[haseoke39]

Very safe pick. Not to much upside, not too much downside.

 

[Lucky Luke]

Brent Seabrook clone.

Solid pick.

 

[Chainshot]

Love this pick:

McKeens:

Raised concerns with an uninspired showing at the 5-Nations Cup in February, and through a difficult second season in the SM-liiga .. forced to log tough minutes in all situations on a TPS team that finished outside the playoffs again .. captained Finland at the U20 Worlds - finishing third in tournament scoring among blueliners (6-2-4-6) .. debuted with TPS in `10-11, the second-youngest defenseman ever to play in the SM-liiga ..

SCOUTING REPORT.. big, rugged and strongly-constructed with a thick lower trunk.. plays a mature and confident game .. adept stickhandler and efficient puckmover with good puck-control abilities .. wants to make constructive breakouts and will hold the puck and shield off pressure in order to accomplish his ideas .. gets bull-headed and dead-ends himself at times .. top weapon is a heavy slapshot that finds a way to the net .. no stranger to jumping to the attack - knows how to integrate himself into the rush or find productive trailing lanes supporting the play .. strength and aggression are prime attributes .. possesses brute power in his hands and arms
for his age .. can be a smart, assertive physical presence - using his size advantage to bully the puck away .. an adequate skater who achieves maximum efficiency and output from short, powerful strides .. a tad stiff and mechanical - and missing some lateral agility .. feet are strong but heavy and not terribly fast or dexterous .. conjures up a solid top gear - lengthening each stride to increase speed - and even wins longer foot-races against seemingly faster players .. not great backing up .. labours generating momentum and defaults to forward in order to quell quick attacks .. also prone to clutch-and-grab fouls as an extension of a tendency to take
aggressive angles to close gaps .. an underwhelming prospect when the energy level dips and the feet stop moving.

 

[sabresfan129103]

Solid pick. I'll take it.

 

[Afino]

He looks like a villain in a Mighty Ducks movie

 

[SoFFacet]

Great pick!

 

[NotABadPeriod]

I say leave him in Finland for a year. Don't waste a year on his ELC while the team is developing. Let him keep playing against men in Finland and get better overseas on someone else's dime.

 

[Chainshot]

Hockey Prospects.com:

Ristolainen, Rasmus – RD – TPS (SM-Liiga) - 6’3†207
Ristolainen is an aggressive offensive defenseman who always looks to push the pace whenever he
gets the opportunity. He loves to take chances with the puck, and provides a good presence from the
backend offensively with his size, hockey sense and puck skills.
The first thing you notice about Ristolainen is his positioning in the defensive zone. Whenever the
play is along the half wall or around the blue line, he creeps up to the high slot and waits for his team
to get possession of the puck so that he can join the rush. There are times when he gets caught and
opponents have a small odd man scoring chance, but more often than not he does pick his spots quite
well and is able to create an odd man rush up the ice for his team. Defensively, Ristolainen is
physical along the boards, and maintains an excellent gap off the rush. He is very aggressive in the
neutral zone, and does not give opponents a free pass to gain the blue line. He uses his stick quite
effectively, and is able to knock away pucks on a consistent basis. Ristolainen does a good job of
HOCKEYPROSPECT.COM
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knowing what is happening around him at all times, and puts himself in solid position again and
again to be a factor without the puck.
Ristolainen is a very good skater. He does not possess great top end speed, but he uses his edges so
well to maneuver through traffic and carry the puck easily. He makes quick starts and stops to stick to
opponents well in the defensive end, and does a good job of angling players to the outside and
ensuring that they do not get a lane to the net off the rush. His feet allow him to look so smooth out
on the ice and also allows him to do all the things that he does every game.
Offensively, Ristolainen is so poised with the puck on his stick. He will exploit holes in the neutral
zone and carry the puck when given an opportunity, or make a crisp, tape to tape pass to his
teammates to start the rush on a consistent basis. Ristolainen has to be respected by opponents
defending him because he can quickly join the attack and be a threat to produce points. He has good
vision with the puck and makes smart decisions with the puck time and time again. He also has a very
good shot from the point, which allows him to be unpredictable in the offensive zone. He has slick
hands, which he displays time and time again when he carries the puck up the ice through defenders.
Ristolainen has proven to be a very effective player at the professional level already in Finland. He
provides such a unique presence from the backend offensively and defensively with his aggressive
mentality. If he can decrease the amount of chances he gives up because of his eagerness to join the
rush, he will be a premier offensive defenseman in the NHL one day.


Quotable: “Another guy where the NHL guys I spoke to about him are all over the map. Some say lock for top 10, others say mid 20’s. I am a huge fan of this kid. I love the mean streak I saw in my viewings. He’s in the upper half of the draft for me. I think Zadorov has slightly more room to get better going forward, but I like Risto’s game right now and I think he will be a very good player in the NHL. I spoke to him at the combine and I was impressed. He was shy at first but as he got more comfortable he opened up and even cracked a few jokes. He roomed with Saros and had some fun with that. He joked that Saros was just a kid and so he was the boss. “ – Mark Edwards

 

[Karate Johnson*]

He had mono

 

[Jame]

thank god

 

[Taro Tsujimoto]

It was mentioned that Risto's played with Armia in the past.

 

[is the answer jesus]

BPA. Glad they took him and not Nichushkin.

 

[Chainshot]

FCs take:

RASMUS RISTOLAINEN
POSITION: Defense
SHOOTS: Right
TEAM: TPS (SM-liiga)
BORN: October 27, 1994
VITALS: 6’-3” / 205 Lbs
STATS: 52 GP 3 G 12 A 15 PTS 32 PIM
STRENGTHS: Ristolainen is a big, smooth skating two-way blue liner that displays maturity and poise beyond his years.
He moves around the ice well with good transitions, edgework and balance on his feet. He displays strong legs and ability
to outmuscle his opponent in getting the puck out of his zone. While not overly fleet-footed, he can join the rush or carry
the puck up ice himself and does so every time there’s open space. He does have the recovery speed to get back if the
rush breaks down. He consistently keeps his feet moving when the puck is on his stick and has his head up monitoring his
options. His feet allow him to stay between the puck carrier and his net while defending. He has shown flashes of some
decent hands but prefers to keep things simple and take the safe option to avoid mistakes, such as willing to dump the puck
out when his options are covered and pressure is on him. When he does get the outlet, Ristolainen makes crisp and mostly
accurate short range passes. From the point, he has a very good, hard shot that he gets on net consistently. While he still
has some problems with a strong forecheck and will just hold a puck too long in some instances, his decision making has
improved from where it was last year. He’s also not afraid of contact and often initiates it. He is best described as an opportunist
physical player; one whose hits are timely and only looked for when blatantly in front of him but does go around looking
to get his nose dirty. A passive style of play seems to be best fit for him as he is most confident and consistent relying on
positioning rather than a crash and bang style. Shows good stamina and can play heavy minutes. He has a great head for
the game; knows his limits and typically plays up to them. Ristolainen is trusted by his coaches and teammates even though
he is 10 years younger than most of them.
WEAKNESSES: The issue that many see in Ristolainen’s game is his NHL upside. Not everyone is convinced that he will
transition well to the next level mostly due to how quickly the game is played and a concern if he can process the play at
the rate of speed in the NHL. The example used in this is that while he is a heads-up player and does make smart poised
plays, he often reacts to situations after it is too late in his own zone. He does not always see the play developing and does
not instinctively know to cover for his teammates when they make a mistake, leading some to ask if he has enough hockey
sense to guide what to do when creative thinking is needed. Ristolainen is also not a consistent physical player as he does
not use contact to muscle opponents off puck instead relying on positioning and his stick more than using his natural size
advantage in this department. He has had some issues with his first pass this season being off the mark as well as his gap
control, allowing opponents into his zone and in deep without much pressure.
SCOUTS QUOTE: “Opinions are all over the place on this guy as some scouts like him as a top-10 talent and future NHL
top four blue liner who plays for 15 year plus seasons while others have doubts and see him struggling with the pace of the
NHL game.”
NHL POTENTIAL: Top 4 Two-Way Defenseman

 

[FanboySlayer*]

meh - a solid big defenceman - no big upside, we weren't smart enough to tank and get somebody with franchise player upside, we passed on a player who has it. we fall behind ... again .... slow rebuild, nothing to invigorate or entertain the fans.

solid pick for hockey nerds.

 

[JJTT]

He's actually 6'4 and close to 210 lbs those are old measurements.

 

[Chainshot]

Let me say again... love this pick.

 

[krt88]

like the pick, I would have been satisfied with Nurse, Nushuskin or RR, so I can't complain.

can we trade up to get Bo Harvat? CRAP!

 

[FanboySlayer*]

A passive style of play seems to be best fit for him as he is most confident and consistent relying on positioning rather than a crash and bang style.

as if FNC wasn't enough of a mausoleum during Sabres games. 'wow did you see how that kid confidently positioned himself, this place is going nuts!'

 

[Finnpin]

Rare Finnish D prospect as he is big and mean.

needs still to work his d game so I'd like to see him in AHL 1 year and then in Sabres uniform.

 

[dotcommunism]

as if FNC wasn't enough of a mausoleum during Sabres games. 'wow did you see how that kid confidently positioned himself, this place is going nuts!'

A guy who playing a good, sound game rather than hitting everything in sight and putting himself out of position? How horrible

 

[haseoke39]

meh - a solid big defenceman - no big upside, we weren't smart enough to tank and get somebody with franchise player upside, we passed on a player who has it. we fall behind ... again .... slow rebuild, nothing to invigorate or entertain the fans.

solid pick for hockey nerds.

Agreed. We don't take any big risks on with this pick, but we're getting a good top 4 guy who would've been available via other means. This isn't the kind of player you try to get to the top of the draft for.

I think the rebuild loses a little ground with this one.

 

[toejam56]

Give Teppo a couple years with this kid.....