Photo Credit: Our very own Ricky Brown
Flyers’ General Manager Chuck Fletcher was left with a gaping hole on the blue line when Matt Niskanen officially announced his retirement one day before the NHL Draft was set to commence last year. Niskanen was a very reliable Right-Handed Defenseman that was on the top pairing, while being paired with a work-horse in Ivan Provorov.
Fletcher approached this offseason trying to replace Niskanen, and he accomplished that with obtaining Ryan Ellis and adding Rasmus Ristolainen to the mix. The Flyers were in a free fall, and beaten on a regular basis. Gone are those days as Ristolainen will not sit back and allow his fellow teammates to get pummeled and cheaply barreled into.
Ristolainen offers the Flyers another dimension this season, and that has been made evident this season as Ristolainen hits everything that moves. He barreled players away from the front of the net of Martin Jones a few games a go, and stuck up for Claude Giroux with a big hit at the end of the first as the horn sounded during the last game of the pre-season. Giroux was hit by a Capital moments prior, and Ristolainen didn’t like it. Gone are the days no Flyer sticks up for one another, as Ristolainen registered seven hits in just two pre-season games played, and has registered 17 hits in just six games played for an average of 2.75 per game.
Moreover, Ristolainen has also played solid defensively in the past three to four games played. His gap control has been effective, and he has not blown many coverages and looks quite comfortable out there for the orange and black, “You always want to play against those top teams to see where you are at,” Ristolainen said with a shiner and all while talking about gearing up to play the Pittsburgh Penguins, following the game on Tuesday night.
“I can’t wait to play in the first battle of Pennsylvania of the season.” – Rasmus Ristolainen
“Risto” eats minutes, and that is what the Flyers needed for a 1A/1B defensemen, as he has averaged 18:47 of ice time per night this season. He pairs effectively with Travis Sanheim, as Ristolainen sees sort of a reduced role with the orange and black, “I think we’re a tight group and that’s what you want to see out there,” Ristolainen said earlier in the season.
“That’s a big part of my game. What I really enjoy, and just try to bring some energy out there. Obviously, we can’t be too physical, and can’t try to hit people all the time.” – Rasmus Ristolainen
26-years-old, Ristolainen, is a Right-Handed Defenseman that can be physical and pot a goal as the Flyers found out earlier this year. He can be seen as an underperforming defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres, but it is the Sabres, a team that was stockpiled with rich prospects and talent. Ristolainen is blessed with toughness, and possesses one heavy shot, and that could become a key on the power play for the Flyers especially in a tough game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Check out our Flyers Nitty Gritty Store
