[Rumour] Devils interested in Rasmus Ristolainen

[Kobayashi Maru]

8 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Is this lineup cap compliant though?  We still have quite a bit of dead cap to deal with.  

Didn't run the numbers but removing Eriksson and adding Reinhart is a wash, and removing Edler and adding Risto is a wash/slight savings.  I don't get paid to manage the cap, so I'll leave that to the experts.   On the surface it seems like a pretty easy fit cap wise from what I can tell.  This is a trade that pushes us over the top and will for many years.

Edited June 15, 2021 by Kobayashi Maru

[Me_]

1 hour ago, Herberts Vasiljevs said:

Would love to see Rasmus get a change of scenery somewhere.

I would love to see the Buffalo Sabres moved somewhere.

[Me_]

That +/- sure is attractive… lots of big numbers…

 

 

 

[BCNate]

18 minutes ago, Dazzle said:

I don't think there's a need to throw away assets at this time. Shaw is going to improve a player like Juolevi, FOR SURE. Also, my understanding was that Shaw would be involved in everything, and given how he has so much experience with the D-Core, Baumgartner is never going to be solely responsible for it. I think you can rest easy.

My biggest issue last season was the deployment of players and minutes.  I expect that a guy like Shaw will have a fair amount of say in that.  Hopefully it improves with him on board.

[Coconuts]

They can have him, I don't want him 

[Bertuzzipunch]

Hopefully it happens. Probably would make it more likely the devils go for a forward with their first pick.

[mll]

"Glaring need at RHD with Carrick a UFA."   Carrick has played all of 11 games last season.  He's not a lineup regular and spent most of the season on the taxi squad and even went through waivers.  

 

They could use an RD but have Severson who has re-established himself under Lindy Ruff and plays the most minutes of any of their Ds - he's young enough to fit their core.  Subban is also a RD and still has one year left - they do need to find an upgrade/replacement.

 

Ristolainen is 1 year to UFA.  NJD doesn't look quite ready to compete next season.  They could always try to extend him or trade him at the TDL to recoup an asset but not sure it's worth paying a premium to acquire him.  They got Murray for a 5th round pick last off-season.

 

Edited June 15, 2021 by mll

[Rick Blight]

13 minutes ago, mll said:

"Glaring need at RHD with Carrick a UFA."   Carrick has played all of 11 games last season.  He's not a lineup regular and spent most of the season on the taxi squad and even went through waivers.  

 

They could use an RD but have Severson who has re-established himself under Tippett and plays the most minutes of any of their Ds - he's young enough to fit their core.  Subban is also a RD and still has one year left - they do need to find an upgrade/replacement.

 

Ristolainen is 1 year to UFA.  NJD doesn't look quite ready to compete next season.  They could always try to extend him or trade him at the TDL to recoup an asset but not sure it's worth paying a premium to acquire him.  They got Murray for a 5th round pick last off-season.

 

I think you mean Lindy Ruff.

[Dazzle]

1 hour ago, BCNate said:

My biggest issue last season was the deployment of players and minutes.  I expect that a guy like Shaw will have a fair amount of say in that.  Hopefully it improves with him on board.

I fully agree. I don't think Baumgartner did a great job last season, but if the players wanted him gone, he would've been. There's probably more to him behind the scenes than what we can see in-game. Maybe Baumer is a positive, humble, hard working guy that players really can relate/respect. When the team sucked like ass, maybe Baumer tried his best to keep players motivated, without resorting to finger pointing. Hughes said Baumer was good during the exit interviews, FWIW.

Edited June 15, 2021 by Dazzle

[mll]

14 minutes ago, Rick Blight said:

I think you mean Lindy Ruff.

Thanks.  I corrected.

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

1 hour ago, Me_ said:

That +/- sure is attractive… lots of big numbers…

 

 

 

Good fit for the Devils then?  

 

(or, I suppose, Vancouver )

 

[theo5789]

1 hour ago, Me_ said:

That +/- sure is attractive… lots of big numbers…

 

 

 

+/- is often an indicator of how bad a team is. Buffalo has been a nightmare and he's utilized in the top defensive roles. His +/- actually isn't bad when considering his team and role. Would you be opposed to Rasmus Dahlin as well with his team worst -36? Quinn Hughes was -24 last season.

 

Rasmus Ristolainen has been so underrated here for years due to that +/- stat. Seeing the playoff teams with a heavy defense, I would absolutely welcome Risto who puts up solid offensive numbers while playing a physical game (averaging around 200 hits a season). He has much improved his defensive game in the last couple of seasons despite the team around him with the right coaching and motivation.

 

Schmidt - Ristolainen

Hughes - Hamonic

Edler - Myers

Juolevi - Chatfield

 

Rathbone logging big minutes in Abbotsford with Woo.

 

For me that's a playoff built defense especially with Demko backing them up. I much rather have Ristolainen than Reinhart especially with Podkolzin coming in.

[Scottydzik]

I’d do 9th and kole Lind say 3rd  for reinhart and colin Miller we’re gonna stand lose one of gad or Lind may as well try get some value out them 

[PhillipBlunt]

51 minutes ago, theo5789 said:

+/- is often an indicator of how bad a team is. Buffalo has been a nightmare and he's utilized in the top defensive roles. His +/- actually isn't bad when considering his team and role. Would you be opposed to Rasmus Dahlin as well with his team worst -36? Quinn Hughes was -24 last season.

 

Rasmus Ristolainen has been so underrated here for years due to that +/- stat. Seeing the playoff teams with a heavy defense, I would absolutely welcome Risto who puts up solid offensive numbers while playing a physical game (averaging around 200 hits a season). He has much improved his defensive game in the last couple of seasons despite the team around him with the right coaching and motivation.

 

Schmidt - Ristolainen

Hughes - Hamonic

Edler - Myers

Juolevi - Chatfield

 

Rathbone logging big minutes in Abbotsford with Woo.

 

For me that's a playoff built defense especially with Demko backing them up. I much rather have Ristolainen than Reinhart especially with Podkolzin coming in.

Replace Edler with Jamie Oleksiak and you have a solid playoff defense. 

[DeNiro]

Just now, PhillipBlunt said:

Replace Edler with Jamie Oleksiak and you have a solid playoff defense. 

Agreed.

 

Edler just doesn’t have the foot speed to play as a top 4 anymore and as long as he’s on the roster that’s how Greens gonna play him.

 

Could you imagine him trying to defend Colorado or Vegas speed now?

 

The idea needs to be to get bigger, younger, and more mobile on the back end.

[PhillipBlunt]

1 minute ago, DeNiro said:

Agreed.

 

Edler just doesn’t have the foot speed to play as a top 4 anymore and as long as he’s on the roster that’s how Greens gonna play him.

 

Could you imagine him trying to defend Colorado or Vegas speed now?

 

The idea needs to be to get bigger, younger, and more mobile on the back end.

Same. I’d rather have a 28 year old, 6’7” 255 lbs defenseman on the third pairing than a 35 year old, 6’3” 215 lbs defenseman. 

[DeNiro]

2 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

Same. I’d rather have a 28 year old, 6’7” 255 lbs defenseman on the third pairing than a 35 year old, 6’3” 215 lbs defenseman. 

He’d be a good option.

 

Cal Foote out of Tampa has been mentioned on here a few times too. I think that guy could be a great grab for third pairing duties.

 

Edited June 15, 2021 by DeNiro

[Provost]

58 minutes ago, theo5789 said:

+/- is often an indicator of how bad a team is. Buffalo has been a nightmare and he's utilized in the top defensive roles. His +/- actually isn't bad when considering his team and role. Would you be opposed to Rasmus Dahlin as well with his team worst -36? Quinn Hughes was -24 last season.

 

Rasmus Ristolainen has been so underrated here for years due to that +/- stat. Seeing the playoff teams with a heavy defense, I would absolutely welcome Risto who puts up solid offensive numbers while playing a physical game (averaging around 200 hits a season). He has much improved his defensive game in the last couple of seasons despite the team around him with the right coaching and motivation.

 

Schmidt - Ristolainen

Hughes - Hamonic

Edler - Myers

Juolevi - Chatfield

 

Rathbone logging big minutes in Abbotsford with Woo.

 

For me that's a playoff built defense especially with Demko backing them up. I much rather have Ristolainen than Reinhart especially with Podkolzin coming in.

It seems from his progression in Buffalo that he can’t play 25+ minutes a game average (not lany guys can)… as soon as he was pared back to a manageable 22 minutes average suddenly his plus minus looks amazing in comparison to the team numbers.

 

I would compare him to Edler in his prime.  A guy miscast as an all situations #1 just because the team didn’t have any other options most nights.  
 

Ristlainen automatically becomes our 2 or 3rd best D.

[theo5789]

9 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

Replace Edler with Jamie Oleksiak and you have a solid playoff defense. 

Don't disagree, just the point was about Ristolainen. I'd like to keep Edler around and transition Juolevi into the spot. Oleksiak would be a good add, but he will probably require term which would restrict the cheap youth from coming in to balance the overall cap.

[theo5789]

1 minute ago, Provost said:

It seems from his progression in Buffalo that he can’t play 25+ minutes a game average (not lany guys can)… as soon as he was pared back to a manageable 22 minutes average suddenly his plus minus looks amazing in comparison to the team numbers.

 

I would compare him to Edler in his prime.  A guy miscast as an all situations #1 just because the team didn’t have any other options most nights.  
 

Ristlainen automatically becomes our 2 or 3rd best D.

I agree, but I also feel like he could probably handle the minutes with a better support system around him. Namely Demko will be better than any goalie he's had behind him. But with the dmen I listed, he certainly wouldn't need to play the heavy minutes. Plus it would bump Myers minutes down a bit as well and he seems to benefit from lower minutes.