While speaking with Jeff Marek today on Sportsnet 590 The Fan , Elliotte Friedman noted that he wrote about Rasmus Ristolainen in his 32 Thoughts column today. During a conversation about all of the defensemen the Leafs were linked to, he said he did get some pushback on the Ristolainen report. In fact, a trade between the Flyers and Maple Leafs in general might be tricky. Essentially, word from other people was that it would be at long shot and he didn’t think Ristolainen was the guy.
He was told that Toronto at least went to go look at Ristolainen as an option, but added, “I’ll see how that one plays out.” He was told that they don’t believe the Ristolainen talk is all that serious and it won’t be him.
Part of the issue could be his contract. Friedman reported that the Maple Leafs were expressing interest and while Ristolainen has faced challenges on struggling teams, potentially impacting his statistics, he was a player of interest. He has made notable improvements since last season, but the contract is a big one. There was doubt on his true value as a defender and whether he’d be worth the investment.
Treliving said during an interview this week, “What’s available, what’s the cost of it that can make an impact on our team and that’s the manager’s job now, is to continue to work that process to see if we can help ourselves.” He notes there’s work to be done, but making a mistake in a deal is worse than potentially not making a deal at all.
Friedman wrote in his latest 32 Thoughts column:
“I do think Toronto’s taken a look at Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen, who has three seasons remaining on a five-year, $25.5M contract. But, I don’t believe the Flyers are eager to give him away, and there’s no rush for them to do anything while their group is playing well.”
Leafs Still Being Linked to Other Defensemen in Trades
Among the other names Friedman mentioned, there have been talks about Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin out of Calgary. There was also chatter on Sean Walker and Nick Seeler out of Philadelphia. Friedman doesn’t see Philly as a team primed to make a move. They are playing well and currently in the conversation about playoffs.
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