Which teams might pursue Flyers’ Rasmus Ristolainen, and what might they offer? – The Athletic

The Philadelphia Flyers are in a similar situation now as they were before last year’s trade deadline: They have an effective player with one more year left on his contract that they don’t have to move, but would move for the correct price.

Last year, it was Scott Laughton. This year, it’s Rasmus Ristolainen.

Of course, the Flyers got a nice return for Laughton last season, prying a 2027 first-round pick and forward Nikita Grebenkin out of Toronto. The price is thought to be similar for Ristolainen, who is signed through next season at a $5.1 million salary-cap hit. The defenseman is the only Flyers player listed on The Athletic’s most recent trade board, coming in at No. 15.

There was a comparable deal for a player of Ristolainen’s stature last season, when Toronto acquired physical defenseman Brandon Carlo from Boston for a 2026 first-round pick, a 2025 fourth-round pick and center Fraser Minten. If a team called Flyers general manager Daniel Briere with an offer along those lines for Ristolainen, he would certainly listen, per multiple team sources.

So who might hit up Briere? Let’s take a closer look at teams that could be on the lookout for a veteran, right-shot defenseman with size and mobility, and whether those teams have what it takes to potentially make a deal with the Flyers, who could simply retain Ristolainen if their price isn’t met. We’ll pay particular attention to those teams that might have a promising center to dangle, as that remains the Flyers’ most prominent position of need both at the NHL level and in their system.

Buffalo Sabres

Do they have a first-round pick?

Yes. The Sabres have their own first-round pick in each of the next three years.

Do they have any young centers they might move?

Asking for Jiri Kulich — who was the Sabres’ top-line center before he came out of the lineup with a blood clot — probably isn’t feasible. Same for Konsta Helenius, the No. 14 pick in the 2024 draft (one spot after Jett Luchanko).

Anton Wahlberg, though, could be a player the Sabres are willing to move in the right deal. A second-round pick in 2023, Wahlberg has 6 goals and 25 points in 48 games for AHL Rochester, and at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, he would give the Flyers some needed size. The 20-year-old has played both center and left wing this season and is still waiting to make his NHL debut.

A non-center that the Flyers could potentially be interested in is 24-year-old goalie Devon Levi, who’s spent the entirety of this season in Rochester. Assuming the Flyers don’t re-up restricted free agent Sam Ersson, they’re going to need another goalie in the organization who can potentially back up Dan Vladar next season.

Keep in mind, the Sabres are now run by general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen, who was also the assistant GM for Team Finland at the Olympics, where Ristolainen excelled.

Boston Bruins

Do they have a first-round pick?

Yes, and then some. The Bruins have their own first-rounder in each of the next three years, as well as Toronto’s 2026 selection (top-five protected) and Florida’s pick in 2027.

Do they have any young centers they might move?

One player who stands out who could get moved in this type of deal is 21-year-old Mathew Poitras, who was essentially leapfrogged in the organization by Minten. Poitras played 33 NHL games both in 2023-24 and last season, but has appeared in just three for the Bruins this season. A second-round pick in 2022, Poitras has 7 goals and 27 points in 69 NHL games.

Dallas Stars

Do they have a first-round pick?

Only in 2027. They traded away their 2026 and 2028 first-rounders in the Mikko Rantanen deal last season.

Do they have any young centers they might move?

Not really. The Stars have surrendered future assets in deals over the years in the name of making a Stanley Cup run. Another complication here is that the Stars, according to Elliotte Friedman, aren’t looking to take back players with term until they figure out the future of pending restricted free agent Jason Robertson.

The obvious connection here though is that Ristolainen just won a bronze medal with four other Finns on Dallas’ roster. He even roomed with Rantanen in the Olympic village. While the clubs might have to get a bit creative to make something happen, I wouldn’t completely rule out the Stars, who are still hoping to make a deep playoff run and look like they could use some help on the right side of their defense.

San Jose Sharks

Do they have a first-round pick?

The Sharks have their own first-round picks in each of the next three years, as well as Edmonton’s in 2026.

Do they have any young centers they might move?

The Sharks are pretty set down the middle with Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and Michael Misa all in the early stages of their respective careers. They also just re-signed center Alex Wennberg to a three-year extension. They do need more defensemen, though, with four of their regulars set to become free agents this summer.

So might they be willing to move a guy such as Filip Bystedt, the No. 27 pick in the 2022 draft? Bystedt, 22, has yet to make his NHL debut, but has a nice total of 40 points (15 goals, 25 assists) in 45 games for the AHL Barracuda this season. According to Corey Pronman, Bystedt is “a huge center who can skate quite well and power his way to pucks when he wants to.”

Zack Ostapchuk, 22, is another center that could potentially pique the Flyers’ interest. A second-round pick in 2021, Ostapchuk is big (6-4, 212 pounds), has spent most of the season as the Sharks’ fourth-line center, and even once knocked out Matt Rempe. He doesn’t score all that much, though, with five points (3 goals, 2 assists) in 35 games, and just 4 goals and 9 total points in 98 career NHL games.

Of note: Sharks senior adviser and pro scout Tim Burke was spotted in the press box at the Flyers-Bruins game on Saturday afternoon.

Ottawa Senators

Do they have a first-round pick?

Not in 2026, but they do have their own selections in 2027 and 2028.

Do they have any young centers they might move?

The Senators’ system is heavy on defensemen, and even if that’s what the Flyers were looking for, it’s doubtful that Ristolainen would be able to return them either Carter Yakumchuk or Logan Hensler, the Senators’ first-round picks in each of the last two years.

Stephen Halliday is playing on the left wing of the Senators’ fourth line of late, where he has a respectable 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) in his first 27 career NHL games, even getting time on the power play. The 6-4, 212-pounder was playing center in the AHL, where he has posted 29 points (2 goals, 27 assists) in 29 games this season.

Detroit Red Wings

Do they have a first-round pick?

Yes. They have all three of their first-round picks for the next three years.

Do they have any young centers they might move?

The Red Wings have a pair of young centers in Nate Danielson (No. 9 pick in 2023) and Marco Kasper (No. 8 in 2022), but players of that pedigree might be too much to ask for if the Flyers are insisting on a first-round pick, too. Kasper, in particular, might be too vital to the current Red Wings group, too.

One depth center having a nice season in AHL Grand Rapids is 22-year-old Amadeus Lombardi, a fourth-round pick in 2022. He’s scoring at a point-per-game pace (11 goals, 22 assists in 33 games) with the Red Wings’ affiliate. “Lombardi is an excellent skater with good hands and vision who can be an entry machine, and he’s ready for an NHL look,” Max Bultman of The Athletic wrote in January.