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Impressive Olympics Boosts Stock of Potential Oilers Trade Target

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Jackson Weber | Last updated Feb 21, 2026 1:34 PM ET

Rasmus Ristolainen hasn’t really been on the radar this year. Missing the first two months of the season with an upper-body injury, then returning only to soon find himself in and out of the lineup with a separate lower-body issue, has left the bruising defenseman largely out of sight and out of mind. However, that all changed over the last two weeks.

Ristolainen put forth a strong showing for Team Finland at the Winter Olympics, playing a physical, sound defensive game, and it showed in the numbers: he posted two points (two assists) and a +7 rating — tied for second among all players in the tournament — across five games. That performance has put him back on the map, and Flyers reporter Charlie O’Connor believes it’s likely caught the attention of GMs around the league.

O’Connor wrote:

“Rasmus Ristolainen has to be impressing a lot of NHL GMs during this tournament. Not only is he playing well, he’s playing well in a very “stereotypical playoff hockey” type of way. Not convinced it outweighs the real injury concerns GMs have, but he’s helping his stock,”

The 31-year-old Ristolainen is in year four of the five-year, $25.5 million extension signed with the Flyers back in 2022. He’s produced six points (one goal, five assists) across 19 games played in 2025-26.

Should the Oilers Look Into Rasmus Ristolainen?

With Stan Bowman’s focus shifting from prioritizing a top-nine forward to bolstering the blue line — preferably on the right side — a player like Ristolainen becomes an intriguing option, especially after his strong showing at the Olympics. Jason Gregor just recently listed him among the defensemen the Oilers could target in the coming weeks.

When healthy and at the top of his game, Ristolainen could absolutely be a fit for Edmonton, capable of handling top-four minutes with a style of play suited for the postseason. The Oilers and their fans saw it firsthand in the semifinals on Friday, as Ristolainen played Connor McDavid very hard and made life difficult for the world’s best player at times.

On the surface, that would make him seem like an obvious trade target ahead of the deadline — though it’s not that simple. Ristolainen’s $5.1 million cap hit is a major obstacle, meaning Bowman would need GM Danny Brière to retain a sizable portion of it to make a deal work. On top of that, the biggest concern remains his health and injury history, as O’Connor noted.

For those reasons, acquiring Ristolainen carries plenty of risk. On the flip side, that risk could make a move more affordable, and his Olympic performance shows he also comes with significant upside when everything clicks — making him, at the very least, worth considering.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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