The Detroit Red Wings are at the top of every trade rumor regarding defensemen. Today's latest addition to this star-studded cast, per Nick Kypreos, is Rasmus Ristolainen of the Philadelphia Flyers. Kypreos believes that, since talks of Tyler Myers to the Red Wings have stalled, the Red Wings may seek a solution elsewhere. "By making Detroit wait, the Red Wings could change direction and pursue Rasmus Ristolainen," Kypreos writes.
This isn't the first time Ristolainen and the Red Wings have been linked, either. Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff mentioned this morning that Detroit has "kicked tires" on Ristolainen. The pressure is mounting for general manager Steve Yzerman to make a move. Yesterday, one of the top candidates for Detroit's defensive woes found his way to the Edmonton Oilers. With the deadline steadily approaching, Yzerman will need to make a move quickly or risk losing out on another defenseman.
What Ristolainen brings to the Red Wings
Ristolainen fits the prototypical mold of defensemen Yzerman prefers to target. He's tall, physical and loves to impose his will upon the opposition. Like Ben Chiarot, Ristolainen's known for big, booming hits. His presence on the blue line would add a little extra snarl to a roster replete with physical players like Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson.
In 23 games with the Flyers this season, Ristolainen has one goal and five assists for six points. While he's not known for his offensive acumen, his steadiness on the blue line, coupled with his physicality, make him a presence at every outing. Ristolainen has one year left on his contract after this season, carrying a cap hit of $5.1M per season.
The elephant in the room, however, comes from Ristolainen's injury history. Over the last three seasons, Ristolainen has missed 117 games. At 31 years of age, that injury history will only get worse as the Finnish defenseman continues to age. Last March, Ristolainen ruptured a tendon in his triceps, rejoining the Flyers in December of 2025.
Philadelphia wants depth from Red Wings for Ristolainen
To make matters worse, according to Di Marco, the Flyers want a first round pick and depth in exchange for Ristolainen and are not budging. One of the players mentioned in Di Marco's article that the Flyers want from the Red Wings include one of Trey Augustine or Sebastian Cossa. Fortunately, the Red Wings are not prepared to move either of them for a short-term rental.
A solution could come from elsewhere, though. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic believes the asking price for Rasmus Ristolainen would involve young talent. He rules out both Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson from trade options, but proposes a different player that could play a part in trade talks.
"One depth center having a nice season...is 22-year-old Amadeus Lombardi, a fourth-round pick in 2022," writes Kurz. "Lombardi is an excellent skater with good hands and vision who can be an entry machine, and he’s ready for an NHL look". Lombardi is currently scoring at a point-per-game pace with the Grand Rapids Griffins, sporting 33 points in 33 games.
If the Flyers hope to get younger (and faster), their asking price may revolve around the speedy center. Should Yzerman and the Red Wings seek to add Ristolainen to their ranks, they'll need to part ways with someone of Lombardi's caliber.
The trade deadline is in three days. Yzerman will need to find an answer to his defensive question by 3:00 p.m. EST if he hopes to make a trade.