Ristolainen trade could be the Buffalo Sabres most underrated

In July 2021 the Buffalo Sabres acquired a first round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft that turned into Isak Rosen in the Rasmus Ristolainen trade. 

The Rasmus Ristolainen trade will finally reach its conclusion in this year’s NHL Draft. And while the Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart trades gave the Buffalo Sabres a slew of building blocks that included Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, Noah Ostlund, Jordan Greenway, Devon Levi, and Jiri Kulich, the Rasmus Ristolainen trade took a back seat.

Nearly two years ago, the Sabres traded Ristolainen to the Philadelphia Flyers for a rental in defenseman Robert Hagg, a first round pick that turned into Isak Rosen, and a second round pick for 2023. And while Hagg is elsewhere, Rosen performed well for the Rochester Americans this season, and he is playing on another level at the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs.

In case you haven’t tuned in, Rosen has eight points, four goals, and four assists in eight playoff games. He’s been especially effective on the power play, where three of his four goals have come from, and he also sunk a game-winning goal. Want more fun? Rosen has 12 shots on goal so far during the postseason, so if you do the math, that’s a 33% shooting percentage.

Ristolainen trade could be Buffalo Sabres most underrated

But it’s not all about points-Rosen has shown he can consistently find ways to get open throughout the tournament, he’s moved the puck well, and when needed, has pulled off some nifty moves vs. opponents when entering the attacking zone. Next to Jiri Kulich, he’s been the one Buffalo Sabres prospect I’ve looked forward to watching every night.

Rosen’s performance alone shows us this trade deserves more credit than some have given it, but we also can’t forget about that second round pick. General manager Kevyn Adams could take the best on the board and stash them away for later, or he could end up trading the pick as part of an overall package for a potential top four defenseman, or even send it elsewhere to move around in the draft.

Regardless of what Adams does, if he lands a talent whose play is capable of evolving like Rosen’s or a solid blueliner, then the B+ grade I gave this trade last season might just move up one letter. While I don’t foresee Rosen in the NHL until at least 2024-25 thanks to his lack of size, even if Adams misses the mark on the second round pick acquired in this trade, it could still bump up to an A if the winger becomes a star in the NHL, or perhaps even a serviceable middle six player.

(Statistics provided by Amerks.com)