Player Discussion Rasmus Ristolainen

[FloridaSabresFan]

I would not trade him now.

If someone wants to give us a 2C I will pack his bags.

 

[deVolt]

If someone wants to give us a 2C I will pack his bags.

I would at least keep him for the rest of the season to see if his game excel even more or it's just a mirage he could be important piece if we make the playoff.

 

[tsujimoto74]

If someone wants to give us a 2C I will pack his bags.

With the sheer number of RHD we have, I'd listen to offers on any but Jokiharju, TBH. Obviously some guys I'd be more reluctant to move than others, but if we can trade out of a position of strength to address a position of weakness, I don't see why we shouldn't.

 

[Snippit]

I hope he is no longer up for trade.

He still does dumb things but overall I have been happy with him.

 

[Bendium]

I hope he is no longer up for trade.

He still does dumb things but overall I have been happy with him.

I am glad he is playing better and that is why right now I think he should be the number one trade asset. He is a good skater, excellent hitter and has toughness we need. However, he is below average when it comes to seeing plays develop in front of him and predicting where it will go. He is a poor passer, loves to throw the puck around the boards too much, ices the puck a lot, and generally needs a strong partner to make it work with him. He often loses his man and gets out of position. This makes him a liability as a top 4 d man, especially against better teams. Joker and Montour are both top 4 capable RHD who are young and have a lot of years left under team control. Your going to be paying Dahlin big boy money, Montour top 4 money, and Joker top 4 money in a couple years. Trade him while he has good value and term left.

 

[dortt]

If someone wants to give us a 2C I will pack his bags.

the way Risto has played this year, he's worth far more than a #2C

 

[is the answer jesus]

the way Risto has played this year, he's worth far more than a #2C

There's a whole lot of gray area in a blanket statement like 2C. What's the players age, contract status, etc? How is his defensive game? If it's a younger player what is his potential ceiling?
There's a lot of guys leaguewide that would be identified as 2C's that I'd trade Ristolainen for in a heartbeat.

 

[Chainshot]

I'm glad they may have figured out that good transition defensemen bring out better results and that despite thoughts about him in pre-draft scouting, he is not the breakout portion of a pair. It also probably helps to have a more solid defensive structure than Dan's blow-the-zone-send-me-a-bomb-you-can't-make and Phil's man-on-man to give him more help and less to think about.

That said, do they see if his value has rebounded to get close to what their reported ask has been in the summer? I'm torn on this, since Jokiharju is not going anywhere unless you pry him from my cold, dead-inside, heart and Montour has that uncanny knack for transitioning the puck no matter which side he's on or who is partner is, including Ristolainen.

On minor sidebar to the end of this season is seeing if they give Pilut-Ristolainen more run, how they deploy them, and what the results wind up being.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

I'd be willing to trade any of the non-Joker RHD depending on the return. But about Risto, he'll have only one year left on his contract when the expansion draft comes. His next contract that he'll likely want will take him from age twenty-eight into his mid thirties. Defensemen, and players in general, who rely more on their physicality more than their brain tend to not age well. Personally I'd be weary of being the team to give him that next contract.

 

[explore]

I'd be willing to trade any of the non-Joker RHD depending on the return. But about Risto, he'll have only one year left on his contract when the expansion draft comes. His next contract that he'll likely want will take him from age twenty-eight into his mid thirties. Defensemen, and players in general, who rely more on their physicality more than their brain tend to not age well. Personally I'd be weary of being the team to give him that next contract.

That's a reasonable concern in general, but Risto has no injury history to speak of. He's not a fighter or a guy that makes risky plays leading him to get injured and when he does miss time, it's usually for a short time.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

That's a reasonable concern in general, but Risto has no injury history to speak of. He's not a fighter or a guy that makes risky plays leading him to get injured and when he does miss time, it's usually for a short time.

He has been remarkably injury free. My concern was less about injury and more about physical ability tailing off in the mid thirties. The smart and skilled players are the ones with staying power late in their career.

 

[explore]

He has been remarkably injury free. My concern was less about injury and more about physical ability tailing off in the mid thirties. The smart and skilled players are the ones with staying power late in their career.

I don't share that concern about Ristolainen. I think he can be similar to Niklas Kronwall in that he can continue to be effective into his thirties. I also don't agree with your statement that Risto is primarily a physical defenseman and not smart and skilled. He's shown his skill numerous times when he scores on end-to-end rushes, and I've argued for a while that I thought Risto's brain farts were due to being overplayed, and not an inherent lack of hockey IQ.

I think Risto has shown time and time again that he's someone who not only talks about wanting to improve, but also puts in the time and effort to become a better player. That's someone the team should keep.

 

[Snippit]

I am glad he is playing better and that is why right now I think he should be the number one trade asset. He is a good skater, excellent hitter and has toughness we need. However, he is below average when it comes to seeing plays develop in front of him and predicting where it will go. He is a poor passer, loves to throw the puck around the boards too much, ices the puck a lot, and generally needs a strong partner to make it work with him. He often loses his man and gets out of position. This makes him a liability as a top 4 d man, especially against better teams. Joker and Montour are both top 4 capable RHD who are young and have a lot of years left under team control. Your going to be paying Dahlin big boy money, Montour top 4 money, and Joker top 4 money in a couple years. Trade him while he has good value and term left.

I trade Montour before Risto

But that’s just my current opinion. It could change by the end of the year.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

I don't share that concern about Ristolainen. I think he can be similar to Niklas Kronwall in that he can continue to be effective into his thirties. I also don't agree with your statement that Risto is primarily a physical defenseman and not smart and skilled. He's shown his skill numerous times when he scores on end-to-end rushes, and I've argued for a while that I thought Risto's brain farts were due to being overplayed, and not an inherent lack of hockey IQ.

I think Risto has shown time and time again that he's someone who not only talks about wanting to improve, but also puts in the time and effort to become a better player. That's someone the team should keep.

While Risto shows that he can be effective despite it, I firmly believe he suffers from a lack of hockey IQ.

 

[Snippit]

del

 

[old kummelweck]

How are his advanced stats looking this year?

 

[jc17]

How are his advanced stats looking this year?

This is the basics, but very similar. Now people can debate if his bad GF% last year was bad luck, or if his better GF% is good luck.

 

[Bendium]

My wife loves Risto because he is feisty and makes big hits...….but curses him every other game at least when watching the replay of a goal and seeing him look like his brain was just not engaged. His advanced stats and hockey sense shows a defenseman best used as a role player than a steady minute eating top 4 dman. He is too expensive for that role, has two years left before becoming a UFA and will want more money than we should be willing to give him. He just is not a good choice or fit to be part of the long term core of this team. His trade value with two years left on a manageable contract is as high as it is going to be now and through this offseason. There is no question in my mind he still needs to be a major piece in a major trade to fix a bigger hole on the team.

 

[sabrebuild]

I'm glad they may have figured out that good transition defensemen bring out better results and that despite thoughts about him in pre-draft scouting, he is not the breakout portion of a pair. It also probably helps to have a more solid defensive structure than Dan's blow-the-zone-send-me-a-bomb-you-can't-make and Phil's man-on-man to give him more help and less to think about.

That said, do they see if his value has rebounded to get close to what their reported ask has been in the summer? I'm torn on this, since Jokiharju is not going anywhere unless you pry him from my cold, dead-inside, heart and Montour has that uncanny knack for transitioning the puck no matter which side he's on or who is partner is, including Ristolainen.

On minor sidebar to the end of this season is seeing if they give Pilut-Ristolainen more run, how they deploy them, and what the results wind up being.

Regarding his transition passing and zone exits.

I wonder how bad the lack of ahl time and overuse at a young age stilted his passing.

Because I remember his first couple years and some very impressive passing, and then it just became clunk city at the end of Bylsma and thru Housley to now.

Odd.

 

[5 Minute Major]

I can’t wait until they trade him and then watch the likes of Montour and Joker attempt to move bodies from in front of the net. That will be comedy gold!

 

[Tatanka]

I can’t wait until they trade him and then watch the likes of Montour and Joker attempt to move bodies from in front of the net. That will be comedy gold!

Its comedic now. Risto often gets backed in to his goalie and gets lon the wrong side of the forward where he has no ability to tie up his stick. His net front play is his weakest asset.

 

[Bendium]

My wife says if they had an event in the skills competition for who could slap the puck around the boards the furthest…..that Risto would win it every year. The number of times I see him through it around the boards to the opposite side, only to be grabbed before it exits the zone by the other team creating a turnover and a mad scramble to get everyone back on defense....is maddening. Him and McCabe both have this glitch where they lose the feel of how everything on the ice is moving in space. The puck suddenly ends up in the net with them looking around like, "How did that happen?" Its multiplicative when they play together. Its sad because I really liked them both and thought they would grow into long term top 4 defensemen, but they stalled out at the limit of their hockey sense, and on defense in todays NHL you have to be able to predict the play and see things happening before they do. Without that all the physical talent in the world will not get it done. Trade them both.

 

[Chainshot]

View attachment 311591

This is the basics, but very similar. Now people can debate if his bad GF% last year was bad luck, or if his better GF% is good luck.

Isn't his on-ice shooting percentage nearly double his career figure?

 

[Snippit]

My wife loves Risto because he is feisty and makes big hits...….but curses him every other game at least when watching the replay of a goal and seeing him look like his brain was just not engaged. His advanced stats and hockey sense shows a defenseman best used as a role player than a steady minute eating top 4 dman. He is too expensive for that role, has two years left before becoming a UFA and will want more money than we should be willing to give him. He just is not a good choice or fit to be part of the long term core of this team. His trade value with two years left on a manageable contract is as high as it is going to be now and through this offseason. There is no question in my mind he still needs to be a major piece in a major trade to fix a bigger hole on the team.

please cite the advanced stats from this season

 

[Bendium]

please cite the advanced stats from this season

They were literally posted in the post before mine.