Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, after being sidelined since October 3 with an injury, made a brief return to the ice on Saturday afternoon against Anaheim, only to be immediately put back on the shelf with a fresh upper-body injury. This brutal turn of events means Ristolainen, who has one goal this season, is expected to miss roughly two more weeks. Talk about a gut punch for the blueline, right?
The Quickest Comeback That Wasn’t
You could not write a more frustrating script. Ristolainen finally suited up, ready to rejoin his teammates, and then BAM! He’s out again. Flyers Twitter dropped the news on October 26, confirming the defenseman’s upper-body injury and the two-week timeline. Head coach Tocchet called it a “bad luck kind of injury,” saying Ristolainen “got caught in a really awkward spot and re-aggravated it” during the Anaheim game. Nobody is clear on when or how it happened, but Ristolainen managed just one shot on goal and was pointless in 14:34 of ice time. His last shift in the third period, which lasted a mere 34 seconds, ended up being the shift that sent him back to the injury list. He split his time on the third pairing with Hunter McDonald and also saw some minutes with Travis Sanheim, making his sudden departure even more disruptive.
Who Steps Up Now?
With the big Finnish defender sidelined yet again, the Flyers are forced back into that “next man up” mentality, and they are going to need it for their upcoming stretch of games and that Western Canadian road trip next month. This is where you find out who’s really ready to battle. Oliver Bonk, who has been looking great alongside Sanheim, is expected to stay on the top pair, which is a silver lining if there ever was one. During Monday’s practice, the defensive pairings looked like Sanheim and Bonk, Nick Seeler and Jamie Drysdale, and Hunter McDonald with Simon Benoit. There was even a fourth pairing with Cam York and David Jiricek, but York’s return is still a huge question mark after he last played on October 8 against Ottawa. Tocchet laid it out pretty clear when talking about York’s potential return, saying it ultimately comes down to the player. “There’s only so much a doctor can say, and the pain tolerance. To me, it’s on the player, ‘Hey man, I’m ready to go!’ And that’s what you want to hear.” No coach can make a guy play if he’s not feeling it, and that’s the truth of it.
So, when could we see Ristolainen back? If he’s out for the full two weeks, he could return on November 9 against Vancouver on the road, or maybe November 11 when the Flyers face the high-flying Edmonton Oilers. If the team plays it safe, he might rejoin the lineup at the end of the road trip, visiting Columbus on November 14 before heading home to play Edmonton again the very next night. Every game without him is a test, especially with some tough matchups coming up.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
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