Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen to miss season opener with ‘body injury’
Shortly after Thursday’s morning skate, Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella addressed the media on defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen’s current injury status. Ristolainen left practice early Wednesday but there was no update from the Flyers staff on his situation. Tortorella confirmed Thursday that Ristolainen is out day-to-day suffering from an undisclosed “body injury,” not specifying if it’s upper-body or lower-body.
Torts was asked if Ristolainen’s injury is upper or lower body. “I’m not gonna do that,” he said. “It’s a body injury.”
— Charlie O’Connor (@charlieo_conn) October 13, 2022Ristolainen, 27, started his NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres after being selected eighth overall in the 2013 NHL Draft. He amassed 542 games with the Sabres, registering 46 goals, and 199 assists for 245 career points. He was dealt to the Flyers prior to the 2021 NHL Draft in exchange for Robert Hagg, a 2021 first-round pick (Isak Rosen) and a 2023 second-round pick.
Ristolainen signed a five-year, $25.5 million contract extension with the Flyers last March. The contract is worth an average annual value of $5.1 million. He registered 16 points in 66 games last season. The Flyers also confirmed that Nick Seeler will replace Ristolainen on the third-pairing in tonight’s first game of the season against the New Jersey Devils.