Eight losing seasons and multiple expressions of frustration later, maligned Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen finally received his change of scenery.
Ristolainen, the 26-year-old defenseman who was indifferent about spending the final year of his contract in Buffalo, was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday in exchange for defenseman Robert Hagg, a first-round pick in this year's draft, No. 14 overall, and a second-round selection in 2023. The Sabres protected Ristolainen for the Seattle expansion draft in anticipation of a deal that would bring assets to Buffalo, a move that led the Kraken to select defenseman Will Borgen.
Your guide to the 2021 NHL draft
Ristolainen is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent next summer and his contract will count $5.4 million against the salary cap.
Hagg, a 26-year-old left-shot defenseman, has one year remaining on a contract that carries a $1.6 million cap hit. He has appeared in 236 NHL games across the past five seasons.
The Sabres now own 11 selections in the draft, including two in the first round. The event, which will be held remotely for a second consecutive year, begins at 8 p.m. Friday.
"Obviously, we had really, really tough years in Buffalo," Ristolainen said on a conference call Friday. "And obviously, I played a big part. I was one of the one of the leaders there. We couldn't make the playoffs, so that's not good. And obviously, when that's the case, you've got to make some moves and players get traded.
"And I'm very excited to go to Philadelphia. I'm going to do anything I can to help the team make the playoffs and have a run there. That's all I care about is to win. And I don't care what my role will be. I just try to do anything to help the team win."
A lack of support and repeated turnovers negatively impacted Ristolainen’s development after he was drafted eighth overall by the Sabres in 2013. Ristolainen played for four general managers and six coaches during his eight years in Buffalo. Across 542 games, Ristolainen totaled 46 goals and 245 points, including four consecutive 40-plus-point seasons from 2015-19.
Although Ristolainen shouldered the workload of a No. 1 defenseman for most of his time with the Sabres, he has been the subject of trade rumors for the past few seasons. Following the 2018-19 season, Ristolainen’s expression of disgust during locker cleanout day led to an increased amount of trade interest around the National Hockey League.
Former General Manager Jason Botterill rebuffed those overtures and opted to keep Ristolainen, who was a fixture on the Sabres’ power play and penalty kill. Without a reliable defense partner, Ristolainen mostly struggled during his final two seasons with the organization. His best performances came while skating alongside left-shot defenseman Jake McCabe, who is an unrestricted free agent.
Among defense pairs to play at least 125 minutes at 5-on-5 together in 2020-21, Ristolainen and McCabe ranked 16th in limiting on-ice shot quality, according to Evolving-Hockey.com. Then came the Covid-19 outbreak that derailed the Sabres’ season. Ristolainen’s bout with the virus left him bedridden for days and had a significant impact on his play when he returned to the lineup.
McCabe, meanwhile, suffered a season-ending knee injury Feb. 20, and Ristolainen mostly struggled while playing with other defensemen for the last-place Sabres. Ristolainen finished the season with four goals and 18 points in 49 games. His minus-163 rating since 2013-14 is the worst mark in the NHL, but he never received enough support and the club was never in a position to change his role. Ristolainen averaged 23:53 of ice time during his eight years in Buffalo. He will provide Philadelphia with a skilled physical presence on the back end, a significant area of need for the Flyers in recent seasons.
"Obviously, when you change coaches and then you change GMs every year or every other year, it's hard to build something," said Ristolainen. "And yeah, I'm going into a new team, it's a new situation for me. So, I'm super excited and I feel like I fit in really quickly."
Ristolainen’s departure will likely lead to an increased role for Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, a restricted free agent this summer after three NHL seasons. Dahlin, 21, is a candidate for a long-term contract extension after totaling 18 goals and 107 points in 197 games. His 50 power-play points since the start of 2018-19 rank ninth among NHL defensemen.
The growing pains of a third season should have Dahlin ready to be the Sabres’ top defenseman. He struggled while handling an increasing number of defensive-zone starts under former coach Ralph Krueger and made a remarkable rebound while playing for Don Granato, totaling four goals and 12 points while averaging 22:10 of ice time over the final 28 games.
It's unclear what the Sabres have planned for Hagg. The club is well-stocked at left-shot defense, including Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson and possibly Owen Power, who is projected to go No. 1 in the draft.
Hagg could be insurance in the event Power opts to return to the University of Michigan for his sophomore season and if the Sabres are unable to sign McCabe before he reaches the open market on July 28. Hagg's reliable play on the back end could be useful in a second- or third-pairing role, as he's averaged 16:51 of ice time in his career.
A change of scenery may benefit Hagg, whose role diminished upon the arrival of Flyers coach Alain Vigneault. In 2018-19, Hagg led Philadelphia in blocked shots and received the third-most penalty-kill ice time among Flyers defensemen.
With Ristolainen gone, the Sabres have $37.95 million in salary cap space, according to CapFriendly.com. Forwards Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart are also expected to be traded, as Adams attempts to reconstruct a franchise that's missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons.
