Flyers Activate Rasmus Ristolainen Just As Their Duct-Tape Defense Was Clicking

The Philadelphia Flyers are getting Rasmus Ristolainen back, which is great news for a roster that has been held together by duct tape and vibes for the last month.

Daily Faceoff reported Saturday that Philadelphia officially activated the massive defenseman off injured reserve just in time for their matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.

"Daily Faceoff reported the activation on Saturday, confirming Ristolainen's return to the active roster."

Ristolainen missed the last nine games with a hand injury. Before going down, he was eating heavy top-pairing minutes alongside Travis Sanheim.

You would think losing a guy who plays half the game would tank a season, but the Flyers somehow ripped off a three-game winning streak without him. Beating the Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, and Buffalo Sabres while your injured reserve list looks like a hospital ward is objectively hilarious.

While Ristolainen was out, Oliver Bonk stepped up and looked entirely too comfortable playing big minutes. Now coach Rick Tocchet has to figure out how to slot a healthy Ristolainen back into a defensive rotation that was already clicking, especially with Cam York also nearing a return.

Bettors looking at the Flyers against the Anaheim Ducks need to factor in this lineup shuffle. Reintegrating a high-usage blueliner can sometimes throw off a team's rhythm in the short term, even if it raises their physical ceiling.

We will see if Ristolainen reclaims his usual spot next to Sanheim immediately or if Philadelphia eases him back into the deep end. Either way, getting a top-pairing wrecking ball back on the ice is a problem the rest of the league did not want to deal with.