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Rasmus Ristolainen

#55 · Defence · Philadelphia Flyers

Born Oct 27, 1994 in Turku, FIN (age 31) · 6'4", 208 lb · Shoots right · Drafted 8th overall in 2013 by BUF (round 1)

Compare with a similar player

The defencemen closest to him in points in 2021-22. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Josh Manson COL · 16 P in 67 GP Marc Staal DET · 16 P in 71 GP Radko Gudas FLA · 16 P in 77 GP Rasmus Sandin TOR · 16 P in 51 GP Luke Schenn VAN · 17 P in 66 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

0102030402013-14: 4 points413-142014-15: 20 points2014-152015-16: 41 points4115-162016-17: 45 points4516-172017-18: 41 points4117-182018-19: 43 points4318-192019-20: 33 points3319-202020-21: 18 points1820-212021-22: 16 points1621-222022-23: 20 points2022-232023-24: 4 points423-242024-25: 19 points1924-252025-26: 14 points1425-262026-27: 1 points126-27

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2013-14 BUF 34 2 2 4 -15 6 52 66 0.12 $925K
2014-15 BUF 78 8 12 20 -32 26 121 118 0.26 $925K
2015-16 BUF 82 9 32 41 -21 33 202 139 0.50 $925K
2016-17 BUF 79 6 39 45 -9 58 186 195 0.57 $5.4M
2017-18 BUF 73 6 35 41 -25 48 182 206 0.56 $5.4M
2018-19 BUF 78 5 38 43 -41 38 182 235 0.55 $5.4M
2019-20 BUF 69 6 27 33 -2 46 128 203 0.48 $5.4M
2020-21 BUF 49 4 14 18 -18 36 73 193 0.37 $5.4M
2021-22 PHI 66 2 14 16 -9 38 97 230 0.24 $5.4M
2022-23 PHI 74 3 17 20 -4 32 86 162 0.27 $5.1M
2023-24 PHI 31 1 3 4 -6 8 46 56 0.13 $5.1M
2024-25 PHI 63 4 15 19 3 14 100 97 0.30 $5.1M
2025-26 PHI 44 1 13 14 10 16 58 48 0.32 $5.1M
2026-27 PHI 3 1 0 1 0 0 4 4 0.33 $5.1M
14 seasons Career 823 58 261 319 -169 399 1517 1952 0.39

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2025-26 PHI 10 1 4 5 1 20 18 20 0.50
1 season Playoffs 10 1 4 5 1 20 18 20 0.50

2021-22 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
66 2 14 16 -9 38 97 230 0.24 2.1 21:26

Contract

$5.4MCap hitends in 2022, then extended to 2027
$338KCap dollars per point16 points in 66 games
$6.884MCap dollars per goal above replacement0.8 goals above replacement
$1.3MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$4.1MValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 716 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Buffalo Sabres on Oct 11, 2016, as a new contract: 6 years and $32.4M, beginning in 2016-17. It runs through 2021-22, so this is its last season, and his extension takes over. His next contract is already signed: an extension with the Philadelphia Flyers on Mar 10, 2022, 5 years and $25.5M at $5.1M a season, beginning in 2022-23.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2016-17 $5.4M $5.4M $0 $5.4M
2017-18 $5.4M $5.4M $0 $5.4M
2018-19 $5.4M $5.4M $0 $5.4M
2019-20 $5.4M $5.4M $0 $5.4M
2020-21 $5.4M $4.4M $1M $5.4M
2021-22 $5.4M $5.4M $0 $5.4M

Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
Mar 10, 2022 Philadelphia Flyers Extension not begun 2022-23 to 2026-27 5 $25.5M $5.1M
Oct 11, 2016 Buffalo Sabres New contract 2016-17 to 2021-22 6 $32.4M $5.4M
Jul 12, 2013 Buffalo Sabres Entry-level 2013-14 to 2015-16 3 $5.325M $925K

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2021-22 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2021-22 analytics

Rating

+0.8Goals above replacement465th of 723 skaters, 150th of 242 defencemen
+0.1Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
-3.9Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 242 ranked defencemen: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile.

Even-strength offence-0.2 65th percentileEven-strength defence-1.9 25th percentilePower play-0.7 12th percentilePenalty kill-0.1 34th percentilePenalties-1.0 33rd percentile

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater, and the rank beside it is among defencemen. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

-6-4-202462013-142015-162017-182019-202021-222023-242025-26Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

46.0Corsi for %1088 attempts for, 1278 against
+0.0CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
46.5Expected goals for %50.8 expected for, 58.5 against
+2.9xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
46.7Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
48.6Goals for %54 for, 57 against
100.5PDO8.7% shooting + 91.8% saves
169Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 636 skaters who played enough to be ranked: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile. PDO and attempts taken are left plain, since neither is good or bad on its own.

Who he played with

Defence pairGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Rasmus Ristolainen · Travis Sanheim64972:1445.847.547-43
Rasmus Ristolainen · Ivan Provorov4473:4348.541.44-5
Keith Yandle · Rasmus Ristolainen2738:4445.348.11-2
Nick Seeler · Rasmus Ristolainen1232:4748.443.71-0

The pairs he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's pairs that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

2Goalsnot counting empty-netters
6.3Expected goalsfrom 140 unblocked attempts
-4.3Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.27 expected goals per 60 minutes76th
Shot quality 4.5% chance per attempt96th
Finishing -4.3 goals above expected3rdOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of defencemen he is ahead of, among the 241 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

0246Game 20Game 40Game 60Expected 6.3Goals 2

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took this season, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. Darker red means more attempts from that spot, and each dot is a goal. "Show every shot" switches to a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 12, 2022 @ WSH L 2-9 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 21:28
Apr 9, 2022 vs ANA L 3-5 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 19:52
Apr 7, 2022 @ CBJ W 4-1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 20:17
Apr 5, 2022 vs CBJ L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 18:46
Apr 3, 2022 @ NYR W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 23:06
Apr 2, 2022 vs TOR L 3-6 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 21:38
Mar 29, 2022 @ MIN L 1-4 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 22:14
Mar 27, 2022 @ NSH L 4-5 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 22:19
Mar 25, 2022 @ COL L 3-6 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 22:43
Mar 24, 2022 @ STL W 5-2 0 0 0 3 0 3 3 17:58
Mar 22, 2022 @ DET L 3-6 0 0 0 -2 0 3 4 20:50
Mar 20, 2022 vs NYI W 2-1 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 22:15
Mar 18, 2022 @ OTT L 1-3 0 0 0 0 4 0 3 22:48
Mar 17, 2022 vs NSH W 5-4 0 1 1 2 0 2 2 20:49
Mar 13, 2022 vs MTL L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 7 24:25
Mar 12, 2022 @ CAR L 1-3 0 1 1 -1 0 0 3 22:22
Mar 10, 2022 @ FLA L 3-6 0 1 1 0 4 3 5 24:15
Mar 8, 2022 vs VGK W 2-1 0 0 0 0 2 0 6 23:08
Mar 5, 2022 vs CHI W 4-3 0 0 0 1 2 3 1 22:24
Mar 3, 2022 vs MIN L 4-5 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 25:44
Mar 1, 2022 vs EDM L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 2 2 4 23:13
Feb 26, 2022 vs WSH W 2-1 0 1 1 0 0 1 8 23:56
Feb 22, 2022 vs STL L 1-4 0 0 0 1 0 5 5 22:10
Feb 21, 2022 vs CAR L 3-4 (OT) 0 1 1 0 2 1 2 20:43
Feb 9, 2022 vs DET L 3-6 0 0 0 -2 0 3 2 23:42
Feb 1, 2022 vs WPG W 3-1 0 0 0 2 0 0 6 21:48
Jan 29, 2022 vs LAK W 4-3 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 1 3 21:14
Jan 25, 2022 @ NYI L 3-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 16:49
Jan 24, 2022 vs DAL L 1-3 0 0 0 -2 0 2 6 22:05
Jan 22, 2022 @ BUF L 3-6 1 0 1 0 0 1 3 18:54
Jan 20, 2022 vs CBJ L 1-2 0 1 1 1 0 0 5 19:02
Jan 18, 2022 vs NYI L 3-4 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 9 23:33
Jan 17, 2022 @ NYI L 1-4 0 0 0 -2 0 1 5 15:02
Jan 8, 2022 vs SJS L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 22:07
Jan 6, 2022 vs PIT L 2-6 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 18:25
Jan 4, 2022 @ ANA L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 2 2 4 24:14
Jan 1, 2022 @ LAK L 3-6 0 0 0 0 2 0 6 20:02
Dec 30, 2021 @ SJS L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 24:02
Dec 29, 2021 @ SEA W 3-2 (OT) 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 21:59
Dec 18, 2021 vs OTT W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 2 4 1 21:48
Dec 16, 2021 @ MTL L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 22:29
Dec 14, 2021 vs NJD W 6-1 0 2 2 2 2 3 6 22:01
Dec 11, 2021 @ ARI W 5-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 3 21:14
Dec 10, 2021 @ VGK W 4-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 23:42
Dec 8, 2021 @ NJD L 0-3 0 0 0 -2 0 2 4 19:59
Dec 6, 2021 vs COL L 5-7 0 1 1 3 0 2 3 22:01
Dec 5, 2021 vs TBL L 1-7 0 0 0 -3 0 3 1 19:12
Dec 1, 2021 @ NYR L 1-4 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 20:59
Nov 28, 2021 @ NJD L 2-5 0 0 0 -3 0 1 3 22:27
Nov 26, 2021 vs CAR L 3-6 1 0 1 -3 0 2 3 21:09
Nov 24, 2021 @ FLA L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 21:45
Nov 23, 2021 @ TBL L 0-4 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 21:15
Nov 20, 2021 vs BOS L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 0 3 21:38
Nov 18, 2021 vs TBL L 3-4 (SO) 0 0 0 1 2 1 2 23:04
Nov 16, 2021 vs CGY W 2-1 (OT) 0 1 1 1 0 2 9 19:30
Nov 13, 2021 @ DAL L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 3 1 19:59
Nov 12, 2021 @ CAR W 2-1 0 1 1 1 0 1 3 22:31
Nov 10, 2021 vs TOR L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 20:36
Nov 6, 2021 @ WSH W 2-1 0 1 1 1 0 3 4 22:48
Nov 4, 2021 @ PIT L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 5 22:10
Nov 2, 2021 vs ARI W 3-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 21:12
Oct 30, 2021 @ CGY L 0-4 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 21:14
Oct 28, 2021 @ VAN W 2-1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 21:09
Oct 27, 2021 @ EDM W 5-3 0 0 0 0 2 0 6 19:29
Oct 23, 2021 vs FLA L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 18:47
Oct 20, 2021 vs BOS W 6-3 0 0 0 -1 2 2 2 18:37