Flyers’ General Manager Danny Briere held his annual mid-season presser on Tuesday, and he was asked many questions that tanged from what the Flyers are going to do at the trade deadline to certain prospects.
One of, if not the biggest questions that will linger for the Flyers leading up to the trade deadline is will the Flyers part ways with a solid, good Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
Ristolainen has played very well for the orange and black this season. He has refined his game, as he doesn’t look to crush his opponents in the boards on every play. Ristolainen has gotten rid of that first hit mentality, rather he suffocates his opponents with excellent gap.control and by taking the body. He’s arguably been one of the most consistent Defenseman for the Flyers this season.
Yes, he’s played that well, “I’m not shopping him,” Danny Briere emphatically said on Tuesday during its press conference with the media, “I’m not trying to get rid of him. He’s been an asset for us, and it would be a big hole if we ever had to lose him. I don’t know where it’s going.”
“I’m not shopping him. I’m not trying to get rid of him. He’s been an asset for us, and it would be a big hole if we ever had to lose him. I don’t know where it’s going.” – Flyers’ General Manager Danny Briere says
Briere elaborates more on Ristolainen saying that good Right-Handed Defenseman do not grow on trees, and that is what teams covet. For starters, Briere is right, and teasing Ristolainen would leave a big hole on the right side. He’s played that good, that’s why it’s so tough for Danny Briere to just say ‘Yeah, we would part ways with him’. It also should be noted that Briere Said there were a few teams that called for his services. Now that doesn’t mean it was serious conversations, it just means that some General Manager’s called to see what the Flyers wanted for him.
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In the same token, Ristolainen’s value may never be higher. Again, that’s why this is a tough decision to make. What Briere and the Flyers front office need to do between now and and then, leading up to the trade deadline, are to evaluate which players are part of the solution and which players are not. Those set players that are not should be made available to trade by the trade deadline.
Keep In mind , the Flyers have three first round draft picks in this year’s upcoming draft. If a team traded for Ristolainen by the trade deadline, it would be a late first round pick. It sure seems like the Flyers want NHL ready players now, as opposed to just trading players for picks. They have six draft picks to make within the first two rounds of this year’s upcoming draft alone, so maybe hanging onto Ristolainen past the trade deadline would help the Flyers to obtain a top six Center in the offseason.
For good measure, here is Ristolainen’s game winning goal below from Tuesday night:
