One of three left from Darcy Regier’s final draft, Rasmus Ristolainen has been traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. The only defenseman to play in more games from the 2013 draft is Seth Jones. Supposed to be one of the building blocks of the future, with #16 overall Nikita Zadorov, half the fanbase will surely miss a defenseman they see as reminiscent of the physical players of yester-year and pivotal to playoff success. The other half is happily dancing on his analytics-grave.
No matter what side you’re on, Ristolainen has been a consumate professional for the Buffalo Sabres. Showing up every season, every game, ready to play and improve himself while playing high 20 minutes for almost his entire tenure.