Flyers brass keeps whispering Rasmus Ristolainen's name around the trade table as the deadline looms, with his $5.1 million cap hit and right-shot prowess drawing eyes from contenders needing blue-line muscle. The big Finn's injury history tempers the hype, but his top-pair minutes in Philly and early Olympic sparks have GMs pondering a fresh start for the former Sabres stud.

Rasmus Ristolainen sits at a crossroads with the Flyers, where a dominant showing for Finland in Milan could flip his trade stock from question mark to hot commodity. Front offices around the league whisper about his physical shutdown game suiting a contender's blue line, but only if he stays upright through the grind of top-pair minutes alongside guys like Heiskanen.

Philadelphia dishes the latest on defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and forward Bonk, both nursing ailments that test the Flyers' depth chart. Ristolainen's absence echoes his Olympic addition for Finland after missing the 4 Nations, while Bonk's timeline adds uncertainty to a blue line already under siege. Tortorella's crew grinds through injuries as they chase consistency in a brutal Metropolitan slog.

The Flyers sit just eight points out of the playoffs in the Metro, but their sixth-place perch has GMs circling Rasmus Ristolainen like sharks before the March 6 deadline. The big Finn, who's logged top-pair minutes lately despite his injury woes, heads to the Olympics with Team Finland, where a strong showing could spike his value sky-high.