Rumor: Rasmus Ristolainen is Marc Bergevin's latest target
We're in the period where some people enjoy reading about what's going on behind the scenes, while others don't care about all the speculation because 95% of it doesn't come true. But that doesn't mean that Bergevin doesn't use his phone to talk to his peers. Bergevin, like his peers, is asking about certain players he is attracted to.
All this hullabaloo to indicate that Marc Bergevin would be interested in acquiring Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. With the potential loss of Shea Weber, at least for the entire campaign, Bergevin absolutely must add an impactful right-handed defenseman to his lineup. This rumor comes from Pierre LeBrun, one of the best insiders in the hockey world.
The 26-year-old Finn is a right-handed shooter. He enjoys the physical game, he can "lay it down" on the ice, and he can generate some offense. At 6 feet 4 and 220 pounds, isn't he the perfect candidate to fill a role similar to the one Shea Weber plays/played with the Montreal Canadiens? Risto pockets an average salary of $5.4 million through the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
In order to add the man who had 18 points in 49 games during the 2021 campaign, it would cost at least a first-round pick in the upcoming draft as well as a good prospect. Not cheap, the Risto!
