No it for us he’s not, at least not right now, but for other teams he’s a top 6 alas the trade value
- turbo044

Pilut is bailey and baptiste at this point. Very limited value, hopefully plans out.

Looked good last year on a bad team with a terrible coach

As The clown has said all along Risto isn’t being traded. You don’t trade the player on 9-2-1 team who’s leading the team in minutes and top 10 in the NHL. Fails all logic. You aren’t trading your A captain (McCabe) not are you flipping any of your young acquisitions (miller/Montour/joker) - so that leaves scandella and his expiring contract to trade and maybe a depth dman like Gilmore/pilut.
- turbo044

Homie has been correct all along with respect to a Risto trade....so far.
Things change, and having 75 NHL defensemen is one of those things.

Risto played very well last night, I'll give him that. Again, very well indeed.

However, he is being forced too play those big minutes, not because he is very capable, because he has proven he isn't effeective at it long term. Just because you play big minutes doesn't mean you are good at it...rather it is the best of rather poor alternatives. He isn't a 1st pairing D, and they recently acquired two 2nd pairing RhD's, with the Joker developing it looks like into another 2nd, possibly 1st pairing. They are over stocked there, and yet the still don't have that 1st pairing RhD. It continues to be a need at least for this season, and probably another season. He ain't it, and I can't see retaining him at $5.4m past this season.

Therefore, NOT making him available is at best illogical, and moreso derelict in duties by the GM.
Yet, I don't suspect a trade until at least the end of Nov/into Dec...or closer to the TDL.

Pilut is bailey and baptiste at this point. Very limited value, hopefully plans out.

Looked good last year on a bad team with a terrible coach
- Boss34

He makes Risto better since he is a better puck mover. Much like Scandella who is playing well with Jokiharju by allowing him to be the primary transition player in exiting the zone.
McCabe and Risto playing together have a tough time exiting the zone cleanly, especially under pressure...they react by throwing the puck around the boards blindly. They do play more physically though for sure.

I'm not so sure I would be eager to trade Scandella until the TDL, thereby giving Joker as much time to grow as possible. No need to trade D assets on the Left just yet...moreso needed on the Right.

Are any of them, including Ristolainen, consistently good at handling tough defensive minutes?

The answer is no.
- kingcong39

It’s working so far this year, isn’t it?
While Risto may not be an elite “poop down” defender, he & McCabe are at least doing alright
There is definitely room to do worse

Homie has been correct all along with respect to a Risto trade....so far.
Things change, and having 75 NHL defensemen is one of those things.

Risto played very well last night, I'll give him that. Again, very well indeed.

However, he is being forced too play those big minutes, not because he is very capable, because he has proven he isn't effeective at it long term. Just because you play big minutes doesn't mean you are good at it...rather it is the best of rather poor alternatives. He isn't a 1st pairing D, and they recently acquired two 2nd pairing RhD's, with the Joker developing it looks like into another 2nd, possibly 1st pairing. They are over stocked there, and yet the still don't have that 1st pairing RhD. It continues to be a need at least for this season, and probably another season. He ain't it, and I can't see retaining him at $5.4m past this season.

Therefore, NOT making him available is at best illogical, and moreso derelict in duties by the GM.
Yet, I don't suspect a trade until at least the end of Nov/into Dec...or closer to the TDL.
- IonSabres

Yeah but Ralph is playing him big minutes and not any other dman the same, thus he must thing Risto provides something that others don’t.

Btw, on the 2nd half of b2b games Ralph was very smart with ice time. Risto was a bit high at 26 but all other dmen were 20 or less. Eichel was the high forward at 18 (low for him) and the next highest forwards were bunched at 16. So basically Ralph rolled 4 lines pretty evenly with Risto getting a double shift one or twice a period. This smart ice time attribution will keep players fresh and help over the long haul

Homie has been correct all along with respect to a Risto trade....so far.
Things change, and having 75 NHL defensemen is one of those things.

Risto played very well last night, I'll give him that. Again, very well indeed.

However, he is being forced too play those big minutes, not because he is very capable, because he has proven he isn't effeective at it long term. Just because you play big minutes doesn't mean you are good at it...rather it is the best of rather poor alternatives. He isn't a 1st pairing D, and they recently acquired two 2nd pairing RhD's, with the Joker developing it looks like into another 2nd, possibly 1st pairing. They are over stocked there, and yet the still don't have that 1st pairing RhD. It continues to be a need at least for this season, and probably another season. He ain't it, and I can't see retaining him at $5.4m past this season.

Therefore, NOT making him available is at best illogical, and moreso derelict in duties by the GM.
Yet, I don't suspect a trade until at least the end of Nov/into Dec...or closer to the TDL.
- IonSabres

I’ll ask again...
If we trade Risto, who slots in to take those tough defensive minutes?
Montour doesn’t seem like that type to me

Still some negative people SMH

I don’t get the AA love.

He’s an alright player, but not a guy I’d break the bank for.

Pending UFA who has had one good year and is off to an awful start.

Going to want 5-6 mil per season.

you and Sbroads were nowhere to be found ? Me thinks not
- Swedish_Jesus

I have never left


if anyone thought reinhart was going to win a selke, they are on crack


but.......................


reinhart was one of the 3 stars in 3 out of the last 4 games, and yet you still find time to bash him


the hate is flowing within you

lol so was itzzz bad goaltending, or are you just a joke?
this place should be a sort-of punishment for non-violent Canadian criminals. Like, petty theft or something. 3 games in a hockeybuzz forum. must participate!!
- jimmy mcnaulty

when we suck, and put a lot of shots on net


19 out of 20 times, they are easy shots at the middle of the goalie

there is a big difference between a shot, and a quality shot


hockey 101

Let’s say we do trade Risto

Are we pairing Montour with McCabe for those tough defensive minutes?
Idk about that
I don’t think Montour is that kind of defenseman
- jdfitz77

they are not trading risto


next topic

Yeah but Ralph is playing him big minutes and not any other dman the same, thus he must thing Risto provides something that others don’t.

Btw, on the 2nd half of b2b games Ralph was very smart with ice time. Risto was a bit high at 26 but all other dmen were 20 or less. Eichel was the high forward at 18 (low for him) and the next highest forwards were bunched at 16. So basically Ralph rolled 4 lines pretty evenly with Risto getting a double shift one or twice a period. This smart ice time attribution will keep players fresh and help over the long haul
- turbo044

Risto played well and deserved his time on ice.

Yeah but Ralph is playing him big minutes and not any other dman the same, thus he must thing Risto provides something that others don’t.


- turbo044

he is our best all around d man

he clears the front of the net

he hits
he blocks shots


if you watched the game last night, you know why risto gets the most minutes

Risto played well and deserved his time on ice.
- IonSabres

Yep best game I’ve seen from him in 2 years, defensively

I’ll ask again...
If we trade Risto, who slots in to take those tough defensive minutes?
Montour doesn’t seem like that type to me
- jdfitz77

If we keep Sobotka, who plays those 2RW minutes?

he is our best all around d man

he clears the front of the net

he hits
he blocks shots


if you watched the game last night, you know why risto gets the most minutes
- homiedclown

As good as montour is ..... he’s not the kind of player to do that. We need to keep Risto.

he is our best all around d man

he clears the front of the net

he hits
he blocks shots


if you watched the game last night, you know why risto gets the most minutes
- homiedclown

Who do you think gets traded clown? I think it’s scandella and maybe a guy in Rochester who can’t crack our lineup but can be a top 6 elsewhere. Scandellas injury nonwithstanding

I have never left


if anyone thought reinhart was going to win a selke, they are on crack


but.......................


reinhart was one of the 3 stars in 3 out of the last 4 games, and yet you still find time to bash him


the hate is flowing within you
- homiedclown

Don’t feed the trolls, they’re either 14 year olds, idiots, antagonists or a combo of the above.

Who do you think gets traded clown? I think it’s scandella and maybe a guy in Rochester who can’t crack our lineup but can be a top 6 elsewhere. Scandellas injury nonwithstanding
- turbo044

my money is on scandella

esp seeing miller play with risto a few shifts

montour comes up and plays with dahlin

they clearly like mccabe, so he seems safe


if/when scandella gets traded, expect pick or prospect back as I highly doubt salary comes back

Yep best game I’ve seen from him in 2 years, defensively
- turbo044

Right.
Not to be snarky, but the Risto defenders will use this for the next 70 games.

He isn't useless, not what I'm saying at all.
But using last night as some sort if standard of his play (against o bottom 2 team) is as bad as holding Jack to his 4 point game the other night as his standard.

Too many 2nd pairings. Expensive compared to need.
Trade bait to fix the roster.
IMO.

my money is on scandella

esp seeing miller play with risto a few shifts

montour comes up and plays with dahlin

they clearly like mccabe, so he seems safe


if/when scandella gets traded, expect pick or prospect back as I highly doubt salary comes back
- homiedclown

Yep a pick for scandella opens up salary cap room for a trade at the deadline for a forward if we’re in playoff contention

my money is on scandella

esp seeing miller play with risto a few shifts

montour comes up and plays with dahlin

they clearly like mccabe, so he seems safe


if/when scandella gets traded, expect pick or prospect back as I highly doubt salary comes back
- homiedclown

That would leave Colorado, Montreal and Winnipeg as the only destinations that could afford him with no salary coming back.

Edit unless you hold some salary but that doesnt include many more teams.

Right.
Not to be snarky, but the Risto defenders will use this for the next 70 games.

He isn't useless, not what I'm saying at all.
But using last night as some sort if standard of his play (against o bottom 2 team) is as bad as holding Jack to his 4 point game the other night as his standard.

Too many 2nd pairings. Expensive compared to need.
Trade bait to fix the roster.
IMO.
- IonSabres

I’m with homey here - you’re not trading the top minute per game dman on a first place team. He’s flawed but a different player this year under Ralph.

And at 5.4m that’s a bargain for a dman playing 25 min/game

I don’t get the AA love.

He’s an alright player, but not a guy I’d break the bank for.

Pending UFA who has had one good year and is off to an awful start.

Going to want 5-6 mil per season.
- ImThatGuy

Yeah, I would pass on AA too. I would look into Puljujarvi first. The cost to acquire would be lower, salary would be a fraction of the cost, and I feel he has a higher ceiling.

That would leave Colorado, Montreal and Winnipeg as the only destinations that could afford him with no salary coming back.

Edit unless you hold some salary but that doesnt include many more teams.
- ImThatGuy

Ottawa, Columbus, LA as well