Buffalo Sabres: Rasmus Ristolainen finally turning the corner
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is blossoming under new head coach Phil Housley.
The Buffalo Sabres are in the midst of a seemingly endless rebuild. They haven’t made the postseason since the 2010-11 season. However, their current rebuild didn’t really start until the 2014-15 season, the season that they tanked in hopes of getting Connor McDavid. A huge reason the rebuild has stalled has been their defense. Specifically, the Sabres have struggled to develop blue liners.
Rasmus Ristolainen, however, has been the exception to the rule. The past two seasons, he put up 86 points in 161 games. That ranks 22nd among defensemen. However, most of these points have come on the power play and from the sheer amount of playing time he gets.
Ristolainen ranks 98th among all defensemen the past two seasons in even strength points per hour, which is a bit concerning. Moreover, his possession numbers have been among the worst in the NHL.
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However, this season, though it’s just a 15 game sample size, Ristolainen has seen a significant improvement. For the first time in his career, the Sabres are a better puck possession team with him on the ice than when he’s off it. Ristolainen’s expected goals for percentage at even strength is among the best in the NHL entering Monday, Nov. 27.
What has been the cause of this sudden improvement? A lot of it probably has to do with the coaching staff and the team around him. First of all, new head coach Phil Housley’s system, unlike former head coach Dan Bylsma’s, is tailor made for mobile defensemen. Ristolainen is far more comfortable in his new system, which takes advantage of his unique skill set.
In Bylsma’s system, he was expected to be a net front presence and guard the crease. Now Ristolainen is being allowed to utilize his skill set by being more aggressive and challenging puck handlers. It’s been a learning experience, but as his possession numbers show, he’s much better suited for his new role.
Secondly, Marco Scannella has done a lot to help ease the burden on the young defenseman. Part of Ristolainen’s struggles were due to having to face tough competition and play a ton of minutes. The latter is still happening, but at least now, Scandella is providing him with a reprieve by being impressive against tough competition.
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Can he do this over a full season? Ristolainen’s history suggests no, but this is extremely different from his history. Maybe he’s finally turning the corner. Perhaps Housley should call himself a Ristolainen whisperer. The Sabres sure hope he can sustain his currently outstanding play and justify his title as a top pairing defenseman. For years, they’ve lacked a true blue line leader and Ristolainen is quickly becoming that leader.