Michael Great article!
They should NOT trade him, they need the physical play that he provides on the back end.
- gordong

Nice take.

Cut back on the 24mins a night and put him in a position to succeed.

Also we would miss him when the injury bug invariably hits. There would be a bunch of BS on this board when they start calling up no names from the AHL for injury replacement

- TheSabresTaco

Michael Great article!
They should NOT trade him, they need the physical play that he provides on the back end.
- gordong

Good post.

Honest question: You're an opposing forward on the forecheck, who would you rather battle in corner with - Risto or Dahlin?

Not a shot at Dahlin at all but Risto can battle with the best and he knows how to get opposing forwards off their game. Is there a stat for that?

We need to be more difficult to play against, right? You can't have an entire D corp comprised of puck movers. Need some grit & snarl back there too for a nice balance.

Wow... i didn't really ignore the question you just lack the ability to read something that isn't completely spelled out for you.

and i never said Tage was a comparison, what i stated was that he was the next closest to Risto in +/- and Risto almost double his stat line there. Tage had the second worst +/- on the team at -22 and risto was at -41.... i don't care how you slice that stat it is terrible. And to say everyone had a bad stat in that regard ignores the fact that he more than doubled everyone on the team besides tage.
- SabresFaninIndiana

Well I can read just fine.

Just because i'm not obsessed with stats doesn't mean I'm wrong.

You brought up Tage. Obviously he belonged in the AHL.

Are you saying Risto should have been sent down?

Your argument is weak at best.

Good post.

Honest question: You're an opposing forward on the forecheck, who would you rather battle in corner with - Risto or Dahlin?

Not a shot at Dahlin at all but Risto can battle with the best and he knows how to get opposing forwards off their game. Is there a stat for that?

We need to be more difficult to play against, right? You can't have an entire D corp comprised of puck movers. Need some grit & snarl back there too for a nice balance.
- Chris16

Dahlin, because there's a far better chance that he didn't allow the puck to get the corner in the first place. Risto's numbers at preventing zone entries and getting the puck out are dreadful. If being a physical freak was so important you wouldn't see the trend to smart, puck-moving D. Risto is neither.

he was like a -864 last year.. almost doubled the next closest to him in tage
- SabresFaninIndiana

There seems to be a correlation between elite tallness and elite minuses. I'll have to dig into the advanced height metrics to suss out what's happening here

Good post.

Honest question: You're an opposing forward on the forecheck, who would you rather battle in corner with - Risto or Dahlin?

Not a shot at Dahlin at all but Risto can battle with the best and he knows how to get opposing forwards off their game. Is there a stat for that?

We need to be more difficult to play against, right? You can't have an entire D corp comprised of puck movers. Need some grit & snarl back there too for a nice balance.
- Chris16

Yep. Lots of softies on the team.

But, but, but , the stats!

Who cares!

Tage is Risto, Risto is Tage!

WHAT WOULD TARO DO!?!?

win more hockey games

Well I can read just fine.

Just because i'm not obsessed with stats doesn't mean I'm wrong.

You brought up Tage. Obviously he belonged in the AHL.

Are you saying Risto should have been sent down?

Your argument is weak at best.
- sgk56

i never refer to stats here either. that one just stands out as really bad.

stating a player that had a WAY better +/- stat should be in the AHL does not HELP your argument that he is good at defense.

I am stating that moving him for more scoring does not overly hurt the Defense on this team.

There seems to be a correlation between elite tallness and elite minuses. I'll have to dig into the advanced height metrics to suss out what's happening here
- jcragcrumple

you might be on to something here..

Nice take.

Cut back on the 24mins a night and put him in a position to succeed.

Also we would miss him when the injury bug invariably hits. There would be a bunch of BS on this board when they start calling up no names from the AHL for injury replacement
- sgk56

He’s been in the league for 6 years going on 7 he is basically Jack Johnson move him before he declines

Tage is Risto, Risto is Tage!

WHAT WOULD TARO DO!?!?
- jmatchett383

We can all agree Tage is not good, right?

a -42 is franking horrible no matter how you want to slice it. I could care less either way if he stays or goes. If we can get a RNH for him I would make that trade every day. However I do agree if you move him out, there goes 40+ points from the back end. if the Sabres were ever going to move him now is the time as we have players that can maybe replace him.

He’s been in the league for 6 years going on 7 he is basically Jack Johnson move him before he declines
- gerbe75pts

Risto is basically the personification of a 6th round pick which is technically a really late 1st, so he's basically a 1st round caliber player.

We can all agree Tage is not good, right?
- jcragcrumple

If he was tough and not a wussy he might be...? idk

I see +/- is that advanced stat of the day.

Let me go grab some snacks

Yep. Lots of softies on the team.

But, but, but , the stats!

Who cares!
- sgk56

Are we doing the “Ristolainen “ pushes people around argument lol

Dahlin, because there's a far better chance that he didn't allow the puck to get the corner in the first place. Risto's numbers at preventing zone entries and getting the puck out are dreadful. If being a physical freak was so important you wouldn't see the trend to smart, puck-moving D. Risto is neither.
- Slump Buster

I am not going to argue with anyone because I too have seen Risto play badly.

I just really, really, really want to see him used properly with a more skilled team before we ship him out and he becomes a solid defender on another team.

We can all agree Tage is not good, right?
- jcragcrumple

I don't know this at all. He is a guy that has been rushed to the NHL by two different teams. The guy has a ton of physical talent - we need to let him grow. He was great for Roch at the end of the year last year.

I am not going to argue with anyone because I too have seen Risto play badly.

I just really, really, really want to see him used properly with a more skilled team before we ship him out and he becomes a solid defender on another team.
- Chris16

But that's the thing - if you have to shelter him he isn't worth it. I can name a ton of things that he does poorly and one thing he does well (hit in the corners). Why keep a guy at that salary that is so limited, especially when he might have value to get what you need (top 6 forward)?

We can all agree Tage is not good, right?
- jcragcrumple

Depends, he is franking awesome at Toe drags..

Are we doing the “Ristolainen “ pushes people around argument lol
- gerbe75pts

Not really

Maybe you could find a few purses for some of the players on the team.

You seem to be that type

I don't know this at all. He is a guy that has been rushed to the NHL by two different teams. The guy has a ton of physical talent - we need to let him grow. He was great for Roch at the end of the year last year.
- Slump Buster

I mean he used his gangliness to accidentally break mikko koivu. I guess that's a physical talent

Michael Pachla: Building the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster--RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen
- Michael Pachla

Pach
You should have put him on your first pairing, boost his trade value