Do the Anaheim Ducks have interest in Rasmus Ristolainen? and More

The NHL draft is underway, and there has been an increasing number of players entering the rumor mill. TSN’s Darren Dreger surprised Anaheim Ducks fans by reporting that they have interest in Rasmus Ristolainen.

First off, Bob Murray is typically tight-lipped about what moves he is making. So seeing someone report that the Anaheim Ducks have “interest” in a certain player is taken “with a grain of salt.” Never the less, I will dissect the situation from a Sabres perspective.

Buffalo lucked out and won the draft lottery. Their golden ticket is the generational defensive talent, Rasmus Dahlin. Naturally, when you can draft an 18-year-old kid, your first move is to unload your best defenseman. Personally, I don’t buy it.

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Rasmus Ristolainen has been a consistent 40 point scorer and a very good skater. Some of his advanced stats aren’t great, but his team’s horrid play is partly to blame. In Buffalo, Ristoleinen is one of only two right-handed shots on D, so it’s not likely they move him out.

Maybe the interest comes from clearing up cap space to make a run on a guy like Carlson, so it could have merit from that perspective.

From the Ducks Perspective

“I had heard that Anaheim had interest in Ristolainen… just again projecting the type of player he’s projecting becoming when he hits full stride as a veteran NHL guy.” – Daren Dreger

For the Anaheim Ducks, it doesn’t make sense for them to make that deal either. First, Anaheim’s has the top two pairs, right side, secure with Josh Manson and Brandon Montour. Adding Ristolainen, along with his $5.4M contract, is a heavy financial burden. Someone would have to be shipped out.

If the interest in obtaining Ristolainen is legitimate, it’s because either Montour or Manson are going to be traded for a high-end forward. Last season, Dreger reported the Maple Leafs had interest in Montour, but it could cost William Nylander. As mentioned in the Ducks trade targets blog, there are reasons to believe Nylander could be on the move. The odds of it happening are extremely low, so don’t get your feathers in a bunch.

Oilers 10th overall pick

TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported the Edmonton Oilers own the10th overall pick and would swap it for a quality defenseman. In addition, a couple of weeks back, there was chatter Jacob Larsson could be a potential candidate for the pick. The Ducks have no real reason to move Larsson, but if a player like Oliver Wahlstrom is on the board when Edmonton picks, I would be all over it.

The Wild Bunch

Elliotte Friedman has reported the Wild are potentially looking to trade away Jason Zucker and/or Nino Niederreiter. They would like to include Tyler Ennis in any deal, who has 1 year left on his contract with a cap hit of $4.6 million.

The Anaheim Ducks haven’t been mentioned as teams with interest, but the reports haven’t indicated who are calling the Wild. Zucker is a 30+ goal scorer and Niederreiter has been a consistent 20 goal scorer. Both are good skaters and could fit into GM Bob Murray’s desire to become a faster team. Niederreiter is a personal favorite and I believe he can complement Jakob Silfverberg very well.

The Quiet Before the Storm

As customary with the Anaheim Ducks, there has not been much of chatter, from their side, regarding any potential moves. Murray understands that changes are needed, so don’t be fooled into thinking the silence means nothing is happening.

Next: 5 Anaheim Ducks trade targets

He operates like a real duck. It appears he casually floating in the pond but his legs are churning under the water. Subsequently, at least one major change should be coming…

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