Flyers give the Maple Leafs a price tag on potential Rasmus Ristolainen deal

Rasmus Ristolainen could be the solution to Toronto's blue line problems and they can afford him given the price tag the Flyers would place on him.

Not a day can go by without the Maple Leafs finding themselves in the headlines when it comes to a potential trade. There's a need on the blue line and names like Alexander Nikishin, Simon Edvinsson, and Quinn Hughes have all been part of the conversation and they'd all help out immensely.

But they are all going to come at a very high cost given that the teams offering them are going to ask for a haul. That means top prospects, high draft picks, or potential young NHL stars who can make a difference now.

Maple Leafs can run it back with the Flyers for another trade

Though there is a team that has been struggling mightily this year that holds the solution to the Maple Leafs blue line issues, and it's a team they are quite familiar with when it comes to doing business - Philadelphia.

According to Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff, the Flyers might want to shake things up and they could do so by sending away some veteran talent, and their ask is for something the Maple Leafs can afford:

If the Flyers...look to try and shake things up on the trade front, they won't be looking for draft picks and...future assets. They will be heavily focused on prospects on the cusp of making the NHL and ready-now players.

If that's the case, then Ristolainen makes perfect sense as an option for Toronto. The 31-year-old hasn't really had the offensive prowess as he had earlier in his career though that's a product of him needing to be a defensive anchor for a struggling Flyers club.

Ristolainen is worth giving up some fringe NHL prospects

He's still a great puck-mover who adds mobility but also gives Toronto much-needed help in their own end. He loves to hit, block shots, and is a fearless competitor who has barely been able to compete given he came from Buffalo when they were at arguably their worst.

However he's currently on the IR though reportedly close to a return, and he only makes $5.1M this year, is a free agent this summer - and has no trade protection so he can't really say no.

Toronto can afford him too, as the Flyers want fringe NHL prospects and the Leafs have a ton. A package that includes William Villeneuve, Luke Haymes, and Vinny Borgesi would offer them a much different look and get much faster and offensively sound on the blue line, while adding a versatile centre in Haymes.

Or the team may decide to forgo giving Ben Danford a shot in Toronto for a chance to win now, and Ristolainen would solve several needs right now as opposed to hoping Danford can. That's a big risk though, as he could turn into a defensive wizard for the Flyers and the Maple Leafs are out yet another top prospect.

With how itchy John Chayka's trigger finger can be at times, we could see Ristolainen in Toronto's sights a lot sooner than later, especially if the Flyers can't pull themselves together. It might not be the biggest splash the team could make, but it could be one of the smartest.

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