Report: Habs, Jets among teams interested in Sabres' Ristolainen
There are numerous teams interested in trading for Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
The Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets are two of the clubs who have inquired about making a deal for the blue-liner, reports The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
Ristolainen, 26, has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5.4 million. He'll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2021-22 campaign. He scored four goals and added 14 assists in 49 games last season.
The Canadiens are expected to have a big void to fill on their blue line, with captain Shea Weber reportedly in danger of missing the entire upcoming season due to lingering injuries.
The Jets are looking to upgrade their defensive core after the team struggled in its own zone last campaign. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said this week that he's looking to add defensemen through trades or free agency, according to NHL.com's Tim Campbell.
Winnipeg is in danger of losing defenseman Dylan DeMelo to the Seattle Kraken in Wednesday's expansion draft. The 28-year-old played in the Jets' top four last season, averaging 16:58 of ice time per game.
The Sabres selected Ristolainen with the eighth pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. He has 46 goals and 199 assists in 542 career games.