Flyers’ Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (he’s still with them as of now), the 31-year-old has dealt with a string of injuries that have clearly impacted perceptions of his trade value. He’s been particularly prone to issues in recent seasons—most notably multiple triceps tendon ruptures (one in 2023-24 that ended his year early after just 31 games, and another requiring surgery in March 2025 that caused him to miss the start of 2025-26 and training camp).
This season alone, he’s already had an upper-body injury that sidelined him for about six games in mid-January, returned briefly, and then picked up a new lower-body injury on January 28, 2026, during his second game back (exiting after just 1:01 of ice time against the Blue Jackets). That’s the latest hit, and it’s exactly the kind of recurring durability concern that tanks a player’s market appeal.Trade-wise, the Flyers have made him available at points (reports from early January 2026 indicated he’s “very much available” ahead of the March deadline, with potential retention on his $5.1M cap hit), and there was some buzz about his elevated value earlier due to solid play in a more defensive role and term left on the deal.
Ristolainen’s injury history makes teams hesitant—especially at age 31 with a big contract through 2026-27. Analysts have argued the Flyers should move him sooner rather than later before value drops further due to health risks. If he can’t string together consistent health, especially with the trade deadline approaching and Olympics on his plate (he’s named to Team Finland for 2026), any potential return probably shrinks even more. Tough spot for a guy who’s shown he can be a steady top-4 type when healthy.
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