Flyers Keep Ristolainen After Deadline Interest, Extension Talk Looms

The Flyers did not trade Rasmus Ristolainen at the March 6 NHL trade deadline, despite significant interest from contending teams. General manager Danny Briere said no offer met his asking price for the 31-year-old defenseman, who has one year remaining on his five-year contract at a $5.1 million cap hit.

Briere told reporters after the deadline that Ristolainen's value to the team was too high to accept the returns being offered. "Where do you find 6-foot-4, physical, top-four, right-shot defensemen?" Briere said, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. "There are not a lot."

The Detroit Red Wings were among the final suitors. According to Elliotte Friedman on his "32 Thoughts" podcast, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman had a choice between Ristolainen and St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk, and chose Faulk. The Red Wings sent prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, and defenseman Justin Holl to St. Louis for Faulk.

Ristolainen played well in the playoffs after the Flyers made the postseason. He recorded five points in 10 games in his first career playoff appearance, according to Yahoo Sports. His strong performance may complicate Philadelphia's decision on whether to extend him or trade him this summer.

The defenseman missed the start of this season after suffering a second triceps tendon rupture last year, returning in mid-December. He has since played top-pair minutes alongside Travis Sanheim. With the salary cap rising next season, his $5.1 million hit may be more palatable to teams if Philadelphia revisits trade talks in the offseason.