Report: 40+ point defenseman requests a trade

Yesterday afternoon Buffalo News reported that Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen “implied that he has asked to be traded.”

So… what does that mean exactly? Well, because Ristolainen’s original statements were made in his native Finnish for MTV Sports, it’s difficult to infer his exact intent. However, read below for Buffalo News’ statement of events and make up your own mind.

Check it out:

According to a translation of the interview, Ristolainen said he wanted to keep the discussions with Sabres’ management private.

Ristolainen’s future has been a question, especially as the Sabres have added an abundance of defensemen this offseason.

“I cannot say anything other than the fact that on the 12th of September, I will be at one of the NHL team’s training camps,” he said.

The headline of the MTV Sports article reads, “Ristolainen dissatisfied with situation with Buffalo Sabres – wants to move elsewhere.”

Ristolainen went on to say, “I haven’t been able to help the team win. Recent seasons have been tough and I haven’t been able to enjoy hockey.”

You may recall that Ristolainen’s former teammate Ryan O’Reilly made similar comments following the 2017-18 season and was ultimately traded to the St. Louis Blues in an offseason deal. Could Ristolainen be next?

Should Sabres GM Jason Botterill elect to trade Ristolainen, he’d certainly have several suitors. The 24 year old blue liner 40+ points in each of his past four seasons and is signed for each of the next three seasons at a $5.4 million cap hit. With the emergence of offensive dynamo Rasmus Dahlin though, there seems little reason to keep Ristolainen in Buffalo.