2 Potential Landing Spots For Rasmus Ristolainen

Over the last few seasons, Rasmus Ristolainen has been a popular name in the rumor mill. Yet, the Buffalo Sabres have yet to trade the disgruntled defenseman. With other big name players like Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart wanting out of Buffalo, too, this will be an extremely busy off-season for the team.

Ristolainen is a player who should bring in a lot of attention this off-season. He is a big right-handed top-four defenseman who plays the game with a real physical edge. That is just the tip of the iceberg with him, as he is also capable of producing pretty strong offensive numbers. He has hit the 40-point plateau on four different occasions, which is impressive with him playing for the Sabres. He has struggled to replicate those totals the last two seasons, though. Yet, his numbers should improve on a better team.

These two teams who could be good fits for Ristolainen.

Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets had a bit of a strange season this year. At times, they looked truly dominant, but then would go through serious rough patches. They shockingly swept Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs. However, they then of course were swept by the Montreal Canadiens right after. This showed just how inconsistent they were this season. They need an upgrade on defense to fix their woes and Ristolainen is a good choice.

A trade for Ristolainen would help solidify their top-four. They have had their struggles with the right-side since the sudden departure of Dustin Byfuglien. However, bringing in Ristolainen could be a perfect match, as he could work quite well on their power play.

New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils have interest in Ristolainen, and it could work out quite nicely. The Devils are showing signs of true progression, as they have a strong core of young forwards led by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. Adding Ristolainen to the squad could pay dividends, as he could help improve upon their offensive totals.

The Devils also need to strengthen their right-handed defensemen if they hope to make a playoff push next season. Although he has had his troubles defensively, Ristolainen would still be a serious improvement to their current group. They also will have the cap room to extend him long-term after next season, so that makes a trade for him more alluring.