The latest version of Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen is exactly what many championship-dreaming clubs need in their back lines, writes Tommi Seppälä, Urheilu’s NHL reporter.
Tommi Seppälä NHL reporter
The story of Rasmus Ristolainen, 30, is fascinating. Even at the NHL level, a player with veteran status can make an incredibly long cycle in five years. In the summer of 2019, Ristolainen, who represented Buffalo at the time, had just played his fourth consecutive 40-point season. In the years 2015–2019, Ristolainen played the fifth most of all players in the series.
Since then, the man from Turku has shaped, or been made to shape, his player identity with a fierce hand.
Too much was too much in Buffalo. Ristolainen was not able to carry the responsibility of the number one defender for 26 minutes. From the fall of 2019 to the spring of 2023, the responsibility decreased, the power dropped, and Ristolainen started to be made more of a general defender, and this process was not painless. The game of the TPS breeder, who was known for his rough playing style and was in trouble at times on the defensive end, often went for running when he was looking for big tackles.
It’s different now.
Ristolainen moved to Philadelphia in the summer of 2021. After three seasons spent in the city of brotherly love, the rink has seen the best Ristolainen of all time. Yes, despite the power points of previous years.
Forget the power points, forget the small reservation number and the expectations it brings.
Tuesday morning’s performance against reigning champion Florida was the latest indication of Ristolainen’s current level. In Ristolainen’s game, the biggest impact right now is calmness. No running or overplaying, no setting up big bombs. It has been replaced by good positioning and very high-quality passing of the puck even under great pressure.
Ristolainen was undoubtedly the best of his team on Tuesday.
Ristolainen, who is approaching the milestones of 800 games played and 300 power points, has begun to exude the touch of an elder statesman. Even though Ristolainen did not become the player expected by the reservation number (8th), the handyman Ristolainen still knows how to use the aids that led to great expectations in the past – the head is sharp and the hands move smoothly enough even in a smaller space. Inputs come on tape.
One back, two forward
Ristolainen deserves enormous appreciation for his transformation.
In recent years, the player’s own speeches have also shown a desire to update his own activities and player profile. Even though there are many miles left, the player has been ready to listen and do things that enable him to play at the top level in the fast-paced NHL of the new era. The work done can be seen, for example, in Ristolainen’s skating.
Ristolainen had the nerve to take a step back to let the two forward.
Since last year, the defender’s ice time has increased by almost four minutes. Ristolainen is now also part of the team’s second superior composition. The head coach John Tortorella on Monday praised the development of the people of Turku over the last few years. As proof of his words, Ristolainen, who became one of the team’s top defenders, was defending the lead in the final moments of the match.
This says a lot about the confidence of the Yankee pilot, who is known for his merciless level of demands. Tortorella does not increase a player’s playing time by four minutes per match without justification.
And Ristolainen’s latest contract doesn’t cause a fuss either. The five-year contract with Philadelphia signed in the winter of 2022 guarantees Ristolainen an annual income of 5.1 million yen. At the time of signing, the value of the contract was feared, and at that time, certainly for a reason. The situation has changed quickly.
Ristolainen has put his game in such shape that it has certainly been noticed by other clubs as well. An updated Rasmus Ristolainen is exactly what many clubs aspiring to the championship need for their defensive lines.
Out with the basics
Even though the top defenders in the modern NHL charm with their movement and skill, you can’t build the whole thing on gimmicks. The model of Vegas, which won the championship in the summer of 2023, has been repeated by many: smooth movement, size, roughness and defensive skills are wanted on the ground floor. Ristolainen does all this now, and could bring it to the new club.
There will be enough demand. Still under construction, Philadelphia has a desire to sell.
Ristolainen’s playing style is as if created for the playoff world. The irony is, of course, that this hasn’t made a dent in the NHL playoffs. Next to a defender with more puck, Ristolainen would be able to play a twenty-minute role with all of his understrength as a more confirming host defender. This must have become clear to player watchers around the NHL.
All the same, many young players could take a model from Ristolainen. Sometimes, instead of stubbornly pushing, stopping and taking a step back can lead to two steps forward. The change made by Ristolainen shows maturity not only as an athlete but also as a person.
Maybe as a result, the first playoff cuts will now come.
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