Player Discussion Rasmus Ristolainen

[GellMann]

Risto had a stretch of three games in 4 days where we played the Caps, Oilers, and someone else and he put up 5 or 6 points and was a plus player if I remember correctly. The Oilers game where he scored the OT goal. That would be the stretch to watch. He scored a bunch while beating teams with tremendous offensive players.

 

[BB88]

can someone tell me why it's a shooting gallery (for the other team)with him on the ice? he passes the eye test and scores like a 1D but the nerds don't like him because of his shot metrics.

personally, I believe the kid is morphing into a 1D but the advanced stats are somewhat of a red flag as well.

I don't think there was a player with a tougher role in the league this year.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

I don't think there was a player with a tougher role in the league this year.

Every coach to play their #1 defenseman like Risto was fired.

 

[Zip15]

When you are on the ice for nearly half the game on probably the worst defense in the league it's expected to give up a ton of shots. He's absolutely a #1D though, because for one, if the Corsi nerds type of players (the ones that are graded on spreadsheet analysis instead of actually watching them play) were put in Ristos situation they wouldn't come close to doing a good a job as Rasmus does and secondly, once Ristolainen gets some help on the blue line and his minutes cut down a tad he'll look much much better. Ristolainen is the one Sabres defenseman who actually deserves his ice time/role. I could care less what some spread sheet warrior thinks or says about him when it's pretty clear to whoever actually watches him play that he's one of the best young dmen in the game and trending towards the top of the league. He has all the tools to be a top 5/10 dman.

For Buffalo? Sure, almost by default. League-wide is he in the top-30 defensemen? Not close. I'm happy that Botterill characterized him as a "top-4 defenseman," as I think that's the most accurate characterization I've heard coming from a Sabres employee or fan.

He still has a ton of improving to do. A ton. Especially at ES, and even given a different role. His zone-entry defense is some of the worst in the NHL.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

good info in the responses. I agree that he probably had to do the heaviest lifting from the backend last year when you consider the minutes he logged and how bad the sabre defense/structure/system was/is.

he scored 45 points which is #1D production, outchanced the opposition but got severly outshot but limited net front shots very effectively. only Brent Burns was on-ice for greater % of goals.

once the Eichel era sabres start to rise very shortly and figure out their structure and defense, he's gonna be an analytical stud too.

 

[sincerity0]

good info in the responses. I agree that he probably had to do the heaviest lifting from the backend last year when you consider the minutes he logged and how bad the sabre defense/structure/system was/is.

he scored 45 points which is #1D production, outchanced the opposition but got severly outshot but limited net front shots very effectively. only Brent Burns was on-ice for greater % of goals.

once the Eichel era sabres start to rise very shortly and figure out their structure and defense, he's gonna be an analytical stud too.

After work I'll try and find the shot charts, but @ineffectivemath had charts on his website that actually showed Risto prevented a lot of shots in his area of the ice at 5v5. Someone correct me if I was thinking of another player.

Other posters summed it up pretty well too -- he was the only one who could take the hard match ups. Does that make him a #1 dman? Not necessarily but when you look at teams like the Preds who have 4 defenseman who can play top pairing minutes it makes everyone look better.

 

[SnoopDogg]

How do you think he performs under Housley? He had 20 points in 112 games under Nolan and 86 points in 161 games under Bylsma. Is the sky the limit with Housley as our coach?

 

[Aladyyn]

How do you think he performs under Housley? He had 20 points in 112 games under Nolan and 86 points in 161 games under Bylsma. Is the sky the limit with Housley as our coach?

Risto has enough offensive talent to be consistently around the 60 point mark imo.

 

[Onslow]

Risto has enough offensive talent to be consistently around the 60 point mark imo.

Yeah idk about that. I think he can do a several year stretch of ~50 points, which is excellent.

Some of this depends on whether the PP stays top 5.

 

[LaxSabre]

 

[wildandwoolly]

I'm still not buying the advanced stats proving Risto to be overrated. From what I've seen, the advanced stats also show Gorges and Kulikov to be our best ES defensemen. So something's gotta be distorting them.

I watched Risto play and dominate defensively. He singlehandedly shut down Ovie (and other top players). He's on the ice more than anyone - so surely there are others out there that knock down his stats. I mean, I've seen him make his share of mistakes but I see other top defenders also making big mistakes regularly.

Also, seems pretty clear that most who reference the stats never watch him. Not trying to discredit the critics, but it does seem like most who watch him see a more dominant player.

 

[Moskau]

I'm still not buying the advanced stats proving Risto to be overrated. From what I've seen, the advanced stats also show Gorges and Kulikov to be our best ES defensemen. So something's gotta be distorting them.

I watched Risto play and dominate defensively. He singlehandedly shut down Ovie (and other top players). He's on the ice more than anyone - so surely there are others out there that knock down his stats. I mean, I've seen him make his share of mistakes but I see other top defenders also making big mistakes regularly.

Also, seems pretty clear that most who reference the stats never watch him. Not trying to discredit the critics, but it does seem like most who watch him see a more dominant player.

The problem with Risto is that people try to defend the hyperbolic statements of him being the "worst defensemen in the league" with hyperbolic statements like he "dominates defensively". I wouldn't use shutting down Ovie as a benchmark in the league anymore and for every 3 or 4 performances he has like that he has 3 or 4 performances where he's not good defensively.

He's not the worst defensemen in the league defensively as advanced stats have said the last three years but he's still not even middle of the pack defensively. There are two major red flags with Risto that line up with what advanced stats say that will hopefully get fixed this season. He's absolutely terrible at shot suppression like the stats show and he's the worst defensemen in the entire league at giving up the blueline. Both of those things are very easy to see with your own eyes and no amount of screaming "spreadsheet nerds" is going to show otherwise.

The good news is that both of those things go hand in hand and both of those things seem to have been something Bylsma and Nolan told him to do. If Risto learns to pressure the blueline even 25% better his advanced stats will begin to correct themselves very quickly.

 

[Samsonite23]

The problem with Risto is that people try to defend the hyperbolic statements of him being the "worst defensemen in the league" with hyperbolic statements like he "dominates defensively". I wouldn't use shutting down Ovie as a benchmark in the league anymore and for every 3 or 4 performances he has like that he has 3 or 4 performances where he's not good defensively.

He's not the worst defensemen in the league defensively as advanced stats have said the last three years but he's still not even middle of the pack defensively. There are two major red flags with Risto that line up with what advanced stats say that will hopefully get fixed this season. He's absolutely terrible at shot suppression like the stats show and he's the worst defensemen in the entire league at giving up the blueline. Both of those things are very easy to see with your own eyes and no amount of screaming "spreadsheet nerds" is going to show otherwise.

The good news is that both of those things go hand in hand and both of those things seem to have been something Bylsma and Nolan told him to do. If Risto learns to pressure the blueline even 25% better his advanced stats will begin to correct themselves very quickly.

Exactly. For a player that is so naturally aggressive, it makes zero sense that he sits back and gives up the blueline so often. He was clearly being told to do it.

He loses his man badly every once in a while as well. This isn't as surprising considering how much playing time and responsibility he has though.

 

[sabrebuild]

Exactly. For a player that is so naturally aggressive, it makes zero sense that he sits back and gives up the blueline so often. He was clearly being told to do it.

He loses his man badly every once in a while as well. This isn't as surprising considering how much playing time and responsibility he has though.

His blue line sluttiness is not a huge concern to me. Likely system oriented.

Risto's struggle to keep track of his own office is a bigger concern. That slot gets left free too often for a guy who eats his minutes.

 

[Moskau]

His blue line sluttiness is not a huge concern to me. Likely system oriented.

Risto's struggle to keep track of his own office is a bigger concern. That slot gets left free too often for a guy who eats his minutes.

From game 1 as a Sabres player I noted that he struggled to be able to properly track the puck and anticipate. It's gotten better over the years but it's still a problem. There were a few times in his rookie season that he would stand still and try to find where the puck was for a good 5 or 6 seconds.

 

[joshjull]

From game 1 as a Sabres player I noted that he struggled to be able to properly track the puck and anticipate. It's gotten better over the years but it's still a problem. There were a few times in his rookie season that he would stand still and try to find where the puck was for a good 5 or 6 seconds.

5 to 6 seconds? Come on, that's silly hyperbole. 5 to 6 seconds is an eternity in hockey.

 

[Moskau]

5 to 6 seconds? Come on, that's silly hyperbole. 5 to 6 seconds is an eternity in hockey.

Which is why it was so noticeable. He was tracking the puck with his head instead of skating and getting a better position. And 5 to 6 seconds was nothing on the Ted Nolan teams.

 

[wildandwoolly]

Still weird to hear from Risto's tough critics. I remember all last season people were saying how he sucked, then he'd have an amazing game, and everyone would be like "so much for those advanced stats huh?" and calling him elite despite what the stat nerds say.

 

[haseoke39]

Which is why it was so noticeable. He was tracking the puck with his head instead of skating and getting a better position. And 5 to 6 seconds was nothing on the Ted Nolan teams.

Pshaw. 5-6 seconds is just silly. Might as well say he had no idea where the puck was the entire shift.

 

[darcyRegier]

If it took me 5-6 seconds to find where the puck was I wouldn't have made my high school hockey team lol.

Risto is fine. What other teams have a 22 year old d-man who plays 25-26+ minutes a night against the best players in the NHL and also puts up 40+ points a year? Not many if at all.

Dan Bylsma was a terrible coach. Housley will (hopefully) make him elite.

 

[Aladyyn]

re: protecting the blueline

 

[toomuchsauce]

re: protecting the blueline

Now THIS...this is interesting. From a person who tracks games for a living.

I cannot wait to watch Sabres games under a new coach. I do not expect a miraculous improvement, but it doesn't matter - I just want to enjoy watching hockey, and I'm hopeful for that.

Then again, maybe Phil Housley also has some kind of insane, hidebound system where only the LD can do [this] and only the RD can do [that], etc. I have no idea. I'm just assuming he doesn't, since he's regarded as a good coach and he hasn't won a Cup so he doesn't get cart blanche for the stultifying, mind-numbing authoritarian **** that every hockey player who ever laced 'em up hates with a burning passion.

 

[Icicle]

So even the fancy stats guys are blaming our awful system under Bylsma?

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

What are his 5v5 puck retrieval numbers like? The eye test says he's good at skating the puck out of his end. If he's good at retrieving it, it's logical to think a sane coach's system will see him improve.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Sabres' Ristolainen is enthusiatic about this season

Buffalo, NY (WGR 550) - When Rasmus Ristolainen left in April, he was mad, he was frustrated and he was tired of losing. During the summer, he said he worked out a lot and spent time with family and friends. Ristolainen has spent his first few days on the ice at HarborCenter after getting back from Finland. He said he can’t wait for the season, “I’m really excited, especially after a tough year like we had. Guys feel really excited about this year and me too.

“Everybody knows we needed some changes, some fresh blood here and I like the moves we made.“