Rasmus Ristolainen’s struggles continue for the Philadelphia Flyers as the defenseman has yet to record a point in 25 games this season. Despite averaging 18:31 minutes of ice time per game, Ristolainen has been unable to contribute offensively and has a negative on-ice goal differential of -11, which is the third lowest among Flyers defensemen.
This comes as a major disappointment given Ristolainen’s current contract, which has a cap hit of $5.1 million for four more seasons until 2027. Last season, Ristolainen recorded 16 points in 66 games and had a poor plus/minus rating of -25.
It’s worth noting that Ristolainen is not the only defenseman struggling for the Flyers. The team as a whole has struggled on the blue line, with their defense ranking in the bottom third of the league in several categories. However, with Ristolainen’s high salary and long-term contract, his lack of production and struggles defensively stand out as areas of major concern.
The Flyers will need Ristolainen to step up his game if they hope to get anything positive out of his long-term contract, especially if they want to dump him to another team, it will currently come at a great cost. It’s not uncommon for players to go through rough patches, but Ristolainen will need to work hard to regain his form and contribute to the team’s success considering his struggles have lasted fairly long. Whether he is able to do so remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the Flyers were originally counting on him to be a key contributor on the blue line.
