Rasmus Ristolainen’s repeated injuries are a major drag on his trade value.
The 31-year-old Flyers right-shot defenseman (final year of a five-year, $25.5 million deal, $5.1M AAV, UFA this summer) has a clear durability problem. As of late October 2026, he has played just four games this season (1 goal) after missing nine with a left-hand injury, returning for one game against Anaheim on October 24, and then re-aggravating the same issue—expected out roughly two more weeks.
“He reaggravated it. Got it in an awkward spot. Kind of reaggravated injury,” per Flyers’ Head Coach Rick Tocchet.
Long-term pattern with Philadelphia (acquired from Buffalo in 2021):
- Missed 141 of the Flyers’ 423 games over the past six seasons (about one-third).
- 2025-26: only 44 games (1G-13A), largely due to triceps issues that required surgery and delayed his start until December, plus further upper- and lower-body absences.
- Earlier seasons featured multiple upper-body, lower-body, and triceps problems (including surgeries), limiting him to one 70+ game season in that span.
When healthy he remains a big (6’4), physical top-four/right-shot option who can log heavy minutes, hit, block shots, and contribute in a shutdown or playoff role (he performed well in the 2026 playoffs after the Flyers kept him at the deadline). But the recurring absences make contending teams hesitant—especially with limited term left and at his age. Trade interest has existed for years, yet the health questions keep the return modest compared with a fully available comparable, and the Flyers have held him when offers didn’t match their valuation of a hard-to-find right-shot physical D.
In short, the “gets hurt constantly” description matches the recent and multi-year record, and it directly undercuts what the Flyers (or any team) can realistically get back in a deal.
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