I'm still hearing the words of then Sabres head amateur scout Kevin Devine when Nashville stepped to the podium at the 2013 NHL Draft. With their Finnish scout in-tow, Predators GM David Poile walked to the stage ready to make their pick. Devine was heard saying, "They're going to take our guy" when he thought they'd pick Ristolainen. The Predators ended up taking "their guy," Seth Jones, who was said to be in a battle with Nathan MacKinnon for the No. 1 spot in the draft, with the fourth overall pick.
Devine and his scouts had "keyed on" Ristolainen all season and wanted to use the 8th-overall pick, the first of the Sabres two first-rounders that year, on the 6'3" 207 lb. defenseman who was already competing against and holding his own against, men. The mantra coming from the organization was "bigger, stronger, faster," and Ristolainen fit that to a "T." He was touted as one of the most NHL-ready prospects at the draft having played in the top Finnish league, SM-liiga, since he was 16 yrs. old. In a piece for Sportsnet.ca, Ross MacLean, head scout for International Scouting Services, said, “I can’t get enough of Ristolainen. He is everything you could want in a defensive prospect."
After the Sabres drafted him, it wasn't "if" Ristolainen would make it to the NHL, but more of "when?" And it came quick.
In October, 2013 the Sabres were barreling towards full rebuild-mode with an opening night roster featuring four rookies or first year players, including Ristolainen. By the time GM Darcy Regier was fired on November 13, the Sabres were icing a line-up that had as many as six youngins on the ice but soon thereafter, they were dispersed to their proper developmental leagues. Ristolainen headed to Rochester after playing in 34 NHL games for Buffalo that season.
Despite disappointment in the demotion, it was probably the best thing that could've happened for his career. Ristolainen played top-paring minutes while learning how to be a professional from veteran, Drew Bagnall. The demotion also fueled an off-season drive to never see the AHL again.
At the conclusion of the Amerks season Ristolainen headed back to Finland to work out. He came back to Buffalo for Sabres Development Camp in July in tip-top shape. "I want to show for everybody and myself that I’ve been working hard back in Finland,” he said at the time. He had lost a little weight, "fat, not muscle," he said.
"Just seeing the difference in his body, physically,” said Rochester head coach Chadd Cassidy at the time. “You forget these guys are still boys and they’re still developing. Even though they’re men as hockey players, they’re still boys as people. (It’s great) to see his physical transformation and how seriously he’s taken what we’ve tried to get him to do."
Ristolainen ended up making the Sabres roster and averaging 20:36 of ice-time for the 2014-15 season. His off season conditioning really came into play when top-defenseman Tyler Myers was traded to the Winnipeg Jets on February 11, 2015. After the trade of Myers, Ristolainen's ice-time would increase substantially. In the final 20 games of the season, he would not see less than 20:58 minutes of playing time while also hitting 28:00 minutes or more three consecutive games. Although he ended up a minus-5 during that stretch, the team had a minus-27 goal differential (73-46.)
Like Cassidy said, we forget how you young these players are sometimes. When you look at Ristolainen he has the physical presence of a man amongst boys at times, but he's still only 20 yrs. old and he still has plenty to learn.
A lot of that learning will come this season when he's on the top-pairing in Buffalo. With all the right-handed defensemen on the Sabres roster, it's hard to pin down what side of the ice he'll be on, but it won't matter. Ristolainen has all the tools to succeed, he has physical attributes as well as the drive to excel. He has tremendous hockey sense, is a strong skater, he positions himself well and has a strong physical presence to his game as well as some offensive acumen. Last season he lit the lamp eight times while adding 12 assists so he has the offensive instincts as well as the skills to be a premier, two-way defensemen.
The only thing missing from his resume' is full-time experience in a top-pairing role.
But we'll see plenty of that this season and beyond.
Building the Buffalo Sabres 2015-16 roster:
LW, Evander Kane C, Ryan O'Reilly RW, Tyler Ennis
D, Rasmus Ristolainen
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Free agent Cody Franson officially signed a 2yr./$6.650M contract today at First Niagara Center. Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray had wanted to add another veteran d-man to the roster all summer and was said to have been in contact with Franson's agent "on a daily basis."
What the 28 yr. old Franson brings to the table other than his veteran presence is powerplay acumen. “(He should) certainly help us on the power play with his shot,” said Murray today. “He’s a skilled defenseman. Obviously, a big body. We know that he’s not a crasher-and-banger, and that’s not what we signed him for. But he’s got some range. He’s got a long reach.”
Franson's signing will definitely have an affect on players like 21 yr. old Jake McCabe who will be entering his second pro season. The signing of Franson allows McCabe another year of seasoning in Rochester. Veterans Mike Weber, Carlo Colaiacovo, and 25 yr. old Matt Donovan will also be impacted as Franson looks to take up a spot on the second-pairing, possibly besides veteran, Josh Gorges.
What the signing won't affect, however, is Rasmus Ristolainen's spot on the top-pairing.
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