Trade Pitch Has Red Wings Acquiring $25 Million Defenseman

The Detroit Red Wings are hoping to end their playoff drought and one trade pitch has them adding a star defenseman.

The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Red Wings acquiring Rasmus Ristolanen from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Red Wings acquire:

• Rasmus Ristolanen

Flyers acquire: 

• Jeff Petry
• Jonatan Berggren

The proposed deal sees the Red Wings adding Ristolanen while dealing Petry and unsigned RFA forward Berggren.

Ristolanen is entering the third year of a five-year $25.5 million deal. He would be projected to be the Red Wings’ second-pairing right-shot defenseman, as he would be an upgrade over Petry. Last season with the Flyers, Ristolanen skated in 31 games recording 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points. In his NHL career, he’s skated in 713 games recording 52 goals and 233 assists for 285 points.

Petry, meanwhile, is the Red Wings second-pairing right-shot defenseman and would replace Ristolanen. Petry, however, is in the final year of his four-year $25 million deal. With the Red Wings last season, Petry skated in 73 games recording 3 goals and 21 assists for 24 points, while in his NHL career, he’s skated in 937 games recording 95 goals and 282 assists for 377 points.

Berggren, meanwhile, is an RFA and has yet to sign a new contract. The forward was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NHL draft and is a bottom-six forward in the NHL.

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Red Wings GM Believes Team Can Compete For Playoff Spot

Detroit hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season, but the Red Wings rebuild is nearly over.

In the offseason, Detroit went out and signed the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko, Tyler Motte, Erik Gustafsson, and goalie Cam Talbot. Following the offseason moves, Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman believes his team can compete for a playoff spot.

“I think we’re in with that group of teams that has a chance to compete for the playoffs,” Yzerman said. “If we stay healthy, if our goaltending is good and players outplay your expectations, we might get in. Or you might just miss by a point on the last game of the season.

“That’s the fine line of it all. I look at the roster today and compare it to last year’s group; it’s a little bit different. It might be a little bit better fit as far as roles for players where they sit on the roster today,” Yzerman added.

Detroit opens its 2024-25 NHL season at home on Oct. 10 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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Ristolainen Recovering From Injury

Ristolainen underwent surgery on his ruptured triceps tendon on April 18, the Flyers announced in a press release. The surgery took place at TMI Sports Medicine Institute in Arlington, Texas.

According to the Flyers, Ristolainen is expected to make a full recovery and be ready by the start of the 2024 training camp.

Ristolainen was selected eighth overall in the 2013 NHL draft by the Buffalo Sabres. He spent eight years in Buffalo before being traded to the Flyers on July 23, 2021, in exchange for Robert Hägg, a 2021 first-round pick and a 2023 second-round pick. He then signed the five-year extension in March of 2022.

Philadelphia opens its 2024-25 NHL season on the road on Oct. 11 against the Vancouver Canucks.

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