- The Philadelphia Flyers announced tonight that center Ryan Poehling would miss their game against the Arizona Coyotes due to an illness. No word yet on whether Poehling is expected to be out of Flyers lineup for any length of time. Poehling has already missed three games this season as a healthy scratch as the 24-year-old has struggled during his first season in Philadelphia. Poehling has had a far more advantageous deployment in Philadelphia than he did in Pittsburgh last year, but his analytics and defensive metrics aren’t what they were despite being given more offensive opportunities.
Flyers Rumors
Maple Leafs Have Shown Interest In Rasmus Ristolainen
Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is now healthy after missing the first 20 games of the season with a lower-body injury. The Maple Leafs have shown interest in the 29-year-old in their efforts to add to their blueline, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
The 2013 eighth-overall pick has never been a beacon of defensive acumen throughout his 687 games with the Sabres and Flyers. However, his advanced defensive metrics saw major improvement last season, bringing his on-ice value closer to what you’d expect from a player carrying a $5.1MM cap hit.
After sitting in the bottom tenth percentile of overall even-strength defensive impact during the end of his time in Buffalo and his first season with the Flyers after a 2021 trade, Ristolainen’s defensive play rocketed up to the 87th percentile of all NHL defenders, per wins against replacement data from public analyst Patrick Bacon. His pairing with Nick Seeler last season put up remarkable defensive numbers, allowing less than two expected goals against per 60 minutes on an otherwise defensively weak Flyers team, per MoneyPuck.
In a small sample this season, the trend looks to continue. His partner since returning from injury has been veteran Marc Staal, and the two have controlled a staggering 70.3% of expected goals together – the third-best of any defense pairing this season with at least 30 minutes played together.
That being said, this increase in defensive impact has also come with a significant decrease in usage. In 2021-22, his first season in Philadelphia, Ristolainen logged nearly 19 minutes per game at even strength. Last season, when his possession quality numbers spiked, that number dropped to nearly 16 minutes per game. This year, he’s averaging just 14:30 per game at even strength through five games.
Needless to say, it’s apparent Ristolainen’s sudden increase in value is a little bit of smoke and mirrors. He’s putting up these numbers against much easier competition than the minutes he shouldered early on in his career. His analytics suggest he can be a high-end third-pair defenseman but not much more. Given he’s played a similarly reduced role this season and has just one assist since returning from injury, it doesn’t make a ton of sense for a cap-strapped team such as Toronto to take on his inflated cap hit, which runs through 2027.
Considering the Flyers aren’t in a position to offload assets for less than market value, a trade makes even less sense for the Maple Leafs, given the significant return they’d have to put on the table. As Friedman notes, the Flyers are playing decent hockey, sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference with a .560 points percentage and remaining in the playoff race as the holiday season rolls around. That’s much better than anyone expected, and as such, Friedman doesn’t believe the Flyers are actively shopping Ristolainen.
While having T.J. Brodie, Timothy Liljegren, and Ristolainen would be a strong complement of right-side defenders, the Maple Leafs simply don’t have the financial flexibility to make a Ristolainen deal worth it for the limited role he would play – or, at least, the limited role he should play to be effective. Limiting chances against during 5-on-5 play is an area of need for Toronto (they’re below the league average in that area), but there are better targets to pursue that can shoulder more minutes with more success.
Take Calgary Flames pending UFA Chris Tanev, for example, as a better bet to improve the team’s defensive play while shouldering over 20 minutes per game. They’ve demonstrated interest in him as well, and he’s higher on their wish list by all accounts. As Friedman also mentions, the Maple Leafs would make a Tanev deal with the confidence that they can extend him given his hometown roots and his connection with ex-Flames and current Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving.
Flyers Recall Lycksell, Place Cates on IR
Philadelphia Flyers writer Dylan H. Robillard of Olde City Sports Network is reporting that the Flyers have recalled forward Olle Lycksell from their AHL affiliate the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and placed forward Noah Cates on the Injured Reserve. Cates was already ruled out of action a week ago after suffering a lower-body injury and was placed on the IR as a corresponding move to allow the Flyers to bring Lycksell up to the NHL.
Lycksell had an eight-game audition with the Flyers last season, tallying one assist while going -3. His underlying numbers in the NHL were particularly bad but he was solid in 53 AHL games posting 14 goals and 31 assists.
The 24-year-old was on the bubble to make the team this year coming out of training camp after a strong rookie camp, but ultimately fell short and was assigned to Lehigh Valley. Since the assignment to the AHL, the former sixth-round pick has been nearly a point-a-game player this season with 12 goals and seven assists in 21 games.
Lycksell likely won’t offer the same two-way skillset as Cates but could have an opportunity to show if he belongs in the NHL. Cates struggled offensively to start the season with just a goal and three assists in 21 games.
The Flyers are coming off a home-and-away sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins and have surprised just about everyone with their start to the season. They currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 13-10-2.
Flyers Place Louis Belpedio On Waivers
12/5: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Belpedio has cleared waivers, meaning he will now report to Lehigh Valley of the AHL.
12/4: The Flyers placed defenseman Louis Belpedio on waivers Monday, according to a team announcement.
A 27-year-old right-shot defender from the Chicago area, Belpedio has spent most of his professional career in the minors since finishing a collegiate career at Miami University in 2018. Entering this season, he had just four games of NHL experience, all coming with the Wild – the team that drafted him 80th overall in 2014.
Belpedio has quadrupled that total this season, skating in 12 games for the Flyers early in 2023-24. The puck-moving blueliner joined the Flyers in the summer of 2022, inking a lucrative two-way deal, but spent all last season in the minors. He signed a two-way extension to remain in the Flyers organization in June but again did not crack the NHL roster out of camp and passed through waivers unclaimed in October. After recording one assist through five games with AHL Lehigh Valley, Belpedio received his first NHL call-up in quite some time on October 26.
He’s remained on the Flyers’ roster since then, playing 12 straight games after his recall. Belpedio recorded two goals and two assists, and three of his four points came during his last five games in the lineup. He did play a limited role, averaging 13:12 per game, and posted negative relative possession numbers – his 43.0% Corsi share at even strength is the worst of any Flyer to suit up for at least ten games this season.
With veterans Rasmus Ristolainen and Marc Staal returning to action recently, Belpedio’s spot in the lineup was eliminated. He has been a healthy scratch in six straight contests, so it’s not surprising to see the Flyers attempt to return him to the minors. He needs to clear waivers for a second time this season, as he spent more than 30 days on the NHL roster and played more than ten games since his October recall. Given he’s signed through 2025 and posted poor advanced metrics during his stint in the lineup, it seems unlikely another team will submit a claim for his contract over the next 24 hours.
Devils’ Brendan Smith Suspended Two Games
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Friday that they’ve suspended Devils defenseman Brendan Smith for two games for slashing Flyers forward Travis Konecny in last night’s contest. Konecny was also fined $5K, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for cross-checking Smith on the same play. Smith will be eligible to return to play on December 7 against the Kraken.
NHL Player Safety described the incident as follows:
With the puck having been cleared to the other end of the ice, Konecny delivers a sharp cross-check to the body of Smith, for which he has been fined. In retaliation, and in complete control of his actions, Smith turns towards Konecny, winds up, and delivers a forceful two-handed strike to Konecny’s arm with his stick.
Regarding their determination around supplemental discipline, Player Safety issued the following statement:
It is important to note that this is an intentional and forceful slash delivered well away from the puck and solely for the purpose of retribution. This is not a hockey play, nor is this a battle where players are physically engaged and a stick comes up carelessly due to the body contact between the players. Smith is in complete control of his stick at all times, and while we recognize Smith’s assertion that he is cross-checked first in this sequence, players are not excused from illegal acts just because of a prior foul by an opponent.
Smith has been suspended once before, an eight-game ban during the 2011 preseason while a member of the Red Wings for a hit to the head of then-Blackhawks forward Ben Smith. Given the distance between the two incidents that required supplemental discipline, the previous suspension was not factored into this punishment.
With Smith ineligible to play and star blueliner Dougie Hamilton sidelined with a short-term injury, 2022 second-overall pick Šimon Nemec is expected to make his NHL debut tonight against the Sharks after being recalled this morning.
The 34-year-old Smith had played in all 21 Devils contests this season, oftentimes suiting up as the fourth-line left wing with injuries affecting the team’s forward group. He plays the veteran utility player role well, providing solid possession numbers while averaging 14:43 per game. He does have just two assists on the season, although the 2007 first-round pick hasn’t been relied upon for offensive production in quite some time.
Smith is in his second season with the Devils after spending the majority of his 13-year, 652-game career with the Red Wings and Rangers. In those 652 games, Smith has 33 goals, 92 assists, 125 points, a -5 rating, and 725 penalty minutes.
Noah Cates Out Six-To-Eight Weeks
The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that forward Noah Cates has suffered a lower-body injury that will keep him out of the lineup for six to eight weeks.
It’s not immediately clear the nature of Cates’ injury nor where or how he suffered it. In any case, this is a significant loss for a Flyers team that has impressed early this season. John Tortorella’s club currently sits third in the Metropolitan Division with an 11-9-1 record.
A center by trade, Cates most recently lined up as a left winger on Tortella’s third line, alongside center Ryan Poehling and right winger Joel Farabee. It’s been a more difficult season for Cates, who was excellent as a rookie last year.
A 2017 fifth-round pick by the Flyers, Cates looked to be a home run for the team’s scouting staff last season. The 24-year-old didn’t put up massive scoring numbers at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, save for in his sophomore season. But that didn’t stop him from scoring 13 goals and 38 points as a rookie, all while averaging 17:46 time on ice per game including nearly two minutes on each special teams unit.
That performance earned Cates votes for the Selke, Calder, and Lady Byng trophies, as well as the NHL’s All-Rookie team. He hasn’t been able to carry over that success into this campaign, though, and has seen his ice time decline.
This injury serves as a major setback in a campaign that, in its early stages, had the makings of a sophomore slump for Cates. Making $2.625MM through next season, the hope will be that Cates can return from this injury and re-discover some of the form that made him such a strong rookie in 2023-24.
Flyers Activate Rasmus Ristolainen
Saturday: Ristolainen has officially been taken off LTIR, the team announced.
Wednesday: The Flyers could soon activate defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen off LTIR, Dylan H. Robillard of Olde City Sports Network reports. However, despite returning to practice in full-contact gear yesterday, the right-shot Finn will not enter the lineup tonight versus the Islanders.
Ristolainen, 29, had missed the entire 2023-24 season up to this point with an undisclosed injury. The Flyers didn’t list him as out until October 9 – just one day before the regular season started – making him a rather unexpected absence in the lineup to kick off the campaign.
Now in the second season of a five-year, $25.5MM extension signed with the Flyers in March of 2022, the much-maligned 2013 top-ten pick had one of his best seasons in recent memory in 2022-23. Some reduced usage proved positive for his defensive impacts, skating under 20 minutes per game for the first time since his rookie season. He also notched three goals and 20 points in 74 contests.
While they may not be numbers worthy of his cap hit, Ristolainen remains an NHL-caliber player and should provide competition among the Flyers’ veterans on the backend – namely Marc Staal, who is gearing up to return from a similarly lengthy injury-related absence.
However, Ristolainen’s early-season absence has allowed other players to flourish. Nick Seeler and Yegor Zamula have the best plus-minus ratings on the team with a +10 and +11 mark despite both playing under 17 minutes a game. Their success on the defensive side of the puck, along with Travis Sanheim’s and Sean Walker’s standout play to begin the season, leaves Flyers head coach John Tortorella with some tough decisions on how to utilize Ristolainen moving forward.
With an open spot on the 23-man roster and ample cap space, the Flyers do not need to make a corresponding move to take Ristolainen off LTIR.
Rasmus Ristolainen Practicing In Regular Jersey
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported today on The Drop that unrestricted free agent forward Patrick Kane reportedly would like to make another run with the New York Rangers but at this point Rangers general manager Chris Drury has been apprehensive due to the team’s lack of cap space as well as the chemistry they’ve build under head coach Peter Laviolette.
Kane was unhappy with last season and his inability to be healthy due to his hip injury. According to Kaplan, Kane felt like he played most of the season on one leg and never had a chance to be an impact player.
Kaplan didn’t rule out the possibility of Kane returning to the Rangers but said that if he were to return it would be similar to last season when Kane essentially forced a trade to the Rangers. Obviously, this wouldn’t be a trade, but if Kane was willing to take a low salary, he could force the Rangers hand as the upside of signing the three-time cup winner might be too much for the Rangers to ignore.
In other Metropolitan notes:
- New Jersey Devils reporter Amanda Stein tweeted that center Nico Hischier will travel with the club but will not dress in tomorrow night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. The 24-year-old returned to practice yesterday signalling that his return could come soon as he battles his way back from an upper-body injury he suffered on October 27th in a game against the Buffalo Sabres. The Devils have struggled with Hischier out of the lineup, going 4-5 in his absence. The 2017 first-overall pick struggled to start the year with just two goals in seven games but had a career year last year with 80 points in 81 games.
- Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia is reporting that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen was in a regular jersey at practice today, indicating that he can take contact. Ristolainen’s return to a regular practice jersey signals that he is close to making his season debut for the Flyers as he has been on the shelf since suffering an undisclosed injury during training camp. When he is healthy enough to play, the Flyers will need to activate him off LTIR and make room available on their active roster which will likely mean a demotion for a player such as Louis Belpedio.
Flyers Activate Marc Staal
The Flyers have activated defenseman Marc Staal from IR, the team announced Tuesday. In a corresponding transaction, netminder Felix Sandström was assigned to AHL Lehigh Valley after clearing waivers yesterday. Staal is expected to return to the lineup when the Flyers take on the Islanders tomorrow.
The 36-year-old Staal has regained some value after being viewed as one of the worst defenders in the league a few seasons ago. His possession numbers and advanced defensive metrics had long been subpar after his peak with the Rangers in the mid-2010s, but they’ve rebounded to a level closer to average since joining the Panthers in the 2022 offseason.
His lone season in Florida was effective, playing in all 82 regular-season games for the first time in over a decade and logging over 20 minutes per game in their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. While never a hallmark of his game, Staal’s offensive contributions have dried up, though – he posted no points in 21 playoff contests and had three goals, 12 assists and 15 points in the regular season. Still, that decent showing with Florida earned him a one-year, $1.1MM deal with the Flyers in free agency last summer to extend his NHL career.
Staal’s return supplements a Flyers defense that’s inexplicably been playoff-caliber through the first several weeks of the season. The team is sitting with a 10-7-1 record and a .583 points percentage that would put them in the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Much of that has been because of the underrated play of offseason trade addition Sean Walker, who Staal is projected to pair with in his return to the lineup. Viewed as a throw-in for cap purposes in the Ivan Provorov three-way deal this summer between the Flyers, Blue Jackets and Kings, the 29-year-old has ten points through 18 games while averaging over 21 minutes a night.
Staal had missed the last 14 games with an upper-body injury sustained on October 19 against the Oilers. A return to action seemed imminent at the tail end of last week, with multiple reports indicating he’d been cleared to return ahead of Saturday’s contest against the Golden Knights, but he remained out of action through the weekend.
Flyers’ Felix Sandstrom Clears Waivers
Nov. 20: Sandstrom has cleared waivers and can be assigned to AHL Lehigh Valley, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.
Nov. 19: Now that goaltender Felix Sandstrom is healthy and eligible to return to the team off of the injured reserve, the Philadelphia Flyers announce they have put Sandstrom on waivers for the purpose of assignment to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
At the end of October, the Flyers had originally sent Sandstrom down to the AHL on a conditioning loan, giving him 14 days to work on his game with the Phantoms. Unfortunately, due to an upper-body injury, Philadelphia recalled Sandstrom from his loan on November 4th and subsequently placed him on the injured reserve.
After a disastrous season serving as a backup goaltender last year, Sandstrom suffered to the tune of a .880 SV% and a 3.72 GAA. Even the more in-depth numbers such as ’Goals Saved Above Average’ and his ’Adjusted Goals Against Average’ computed by Hockey Reference suggest Sandstrom was even worse than the more topical numbers he produced throughout the season.
Now, with Carter Hart taking the bulk of the starting minutes for the Flyers, Sandstrom has been replaced in the backup role by Samuel Ersson, who signed a two-year, $2.9MM extension with Philadelphia early in August. Now, assuming that he does clear waivers, Sandstrom will share the net with fellow netminder, Calvin Petersen, in Lehigh Valley.
At 26 years old, Sandstrom is still relatively young for a goaltender in the NHL, meaning some teams may take a chance on him to serve in a backup role. Although there are some organizations that could certainly make an improvement to their current goaltending situation, Sandstrom does not project as an objective improvement in many or all of those situations, meaning he will likely go unclaimed over the next day.