The Buffalo Sabres need to make a series of franchise-changing moves this offseason, but I don’t think trading Rasmus Ristolainen is one of them.
For what seems like the 5th-straight year of trade rumors involving Rasmus Ristolainen, the Buffalo Sabres are, yet again, faced with a difficult decision regarding the direction this franchise wants to take with this defenseman moving forward.
Whether you want to admit or not, Rasmus Ristolainen finally started to see some positive progress last season under new head coach Ralph Krueger. He not only proved to be more comfortable in Krueger’s system, but played smarter and sturdier than we’ve seen in recent years.
His +/- improved from -41 to just -2 last season (though that statistic doesn’t mean what it used to) and he proved to be just as effective on offense, despite failing to record 40 points for the first time since the 2014-15 season. He also led the Buffalo Sabres in minutes played (1,573 minutes), average time on ice (22:48), and led all defensemen in the league with 203 hits.
A majority of that progress we saw was due to having more structure around him, as well as better teammates to help lessen the load for him. With Rasmus Dahlin and Henri Jokiharju showing that they can be relied on, it took some of the pressure off Ristolainen.
In fact, he saw a dip in minutes played and average time on ice when compared to last season — though he still led the team. It was clear that he was just as effective in less time.
This is encouraging because this is also the first time he’s happy with the coaching he’s receiving. He was damn-near traded to the Winnipeg Jets under Jason Botterill, publicly shared similar frustrations as Jack Eichel, and even expressed his understanding that he would be the first person traded if it came to that — this was back in May.
Despite all of that, he still loves Buffalo and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. He’s been asked several times about a change of scenery and never once asked or hoped to be traded.
Instead, he wanted to win in Buffalo, still wants to win in Buffalo, and he started to see a glimpse of that type of culture built last year. Unfortunately, the Buffalo Sabres didn’t have the personnel to fully ignite that culture — something Eric Staal will help with this season.
I just think everything’s lining up for him to have the best season of his career and I’m not sure if that’s something other teams will see — enough to get a good return on him. That’s why I’d rather wait with Ristolainen.
And I’ll even take it a step further and acknowledge all the negative things being said about Ristolainen. Sure, his improvement in +/- doesn’t say much and he still holds the worst +/- since entering the league (-145). Sure, he didn’t record the 40 points we’ve been accustomed to. And while we might continue to see progression, I fully understand that it might not be enough to make a big difference.
At the same time, he’s had 5 coaches in the past 7 years. He’s always been on the trade block and hasn’t had an opportunity to play comfortably. He’s been asked to do a majority of the heavy-lifting on the ice for Buffalo, despite not being ready for that role.
He hasn’t had a solid chance to reach his full potential, but I think that’s what 2020 has in store. It would be a shame to see another player get traded to a team that goes on to win a Stanley Cup. We’ve seen that enough in Buffalo.
Did you know that this story continues on the next page? Continue reading by clicking the button above — you’ll learn more about what I think the Buffalo Sabres need to do on defense this offseason.