6 Flyers Who Won't Return Next Season

6. Rasmus Ristolainen, D

There was a point this season when it looked like the Flyers were going to trade Rasmus Ristolainen. The 29-year-old defender is still under contract through the next three seasons and was seen as someone who could get Philadelphia a strong enough return to help build towards the future.

Having said that, an upper-body injury prevented the Flyers from moving the Finnish blueliner. In fact, Ristolainen's injury has prevented him from lacing his skates since Feb. It's unlikely that he'll play again this year, meaning he's on pace to finish his 11th NHL season with four points and a minus-6 rating in 31 games.

Considering how an in-season deal never materialized, I won't be surprised if the Flyers attempt to move Ristolainen this summer. Philadelphia's defensive core is set (Jamie Drysdale, Cam York, Nick Seeler, etc.), so it isn't as if they need him as much as they did when he was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in 2021.

A healthy Ristolainen would likely play behind Drysdale and Travis Sanheim on the right side. If he was cheaper, that'd be a great situation to have. However, Ristolainen carries an average annual value of $5.1 million through 2026-27, per Spotrac, further proving that he should be moved so that the Flyers could use that money elsewhere.

The good news is that Ristolainen doesn't have any trade protection, meaning Philadelphia can move him wherever they want. He's still a solid defenseman on his good nights, so there's a decent chance that the Flyers can get a solid return while allowing him to bounce back elsewhere.

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