With the trade deadline looming just a few hours away, could a certain Philadelphia Flyers winger be a part of a package deal to bolster the return in a Rasmus Ristolainen deal?
It’s no secret that the Philadelphia Flyers don’t have a ton of options to deal at this year’s trade deadline. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has been the most talked-about player that could be traded, but is there another player on the Flyers roster that could be used in a package deal with Ristolainen to help bolster the return?
Who could be the additional piece in Ristolainen trade?
Forward Bobby Brink has been mentioned a few times on this site in trade speculation, especially given where he might fit on the team in the long term. The 24-year-old winger has been a solid member of the Flyers’ middle six over the last few years – specifically gelling very well with center Noah Cates and forward Tyson Foerster.
NOAH CATES MAKES IT 2-1!!! WHAT A FEED FROM BOBBY BRINK.#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/rkcza83R6d
— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) March 3, 2026
The 5-foot-8 winger is on the last year of a short two-year bridge deal that he signed after the 2023-24 season, making him a restricted free agent once this season comes to a close. With questions about fit and a noticeable logjam on the wing, it’s fair to wonder if Bobby Brink could become a trade chip. General manager Daniel Briere may look to include the young winger in a package alongside Rasmus Ristolainen – not only to maximize the return, but also to create roster flexibility for the next wave of incoming young forwards.
The Flyers’ 2025 first-round pick Porter Martone has put together an outstanding freshman season in the NCAA with the Michigan State Spartans men’s ice hockey. The winger has totaled 21 goals and 22 assists in 30 games, leading the No. two-ranked Spartans in both goals and points. With that kind of production at the collegiate level as a true freshman, he appears poised to make the jump to the professional level next season.
Another young forward who has improved this season and is looking for a shot to join the big club is Alex Bump. After battling the injury bug during December and January, Bump has bounced back in a big way. Bump has five points in his last five games in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, including three goals over that stretch.
Alongside Porter Martone and Alex Bump, current Flyer Tyson Foerster – who is currently on injured reserve – is expected to return to the lineup next season after recovering from his upper-body injury.
So if the Flyers were willing to part with Brink in a deal involving Ristolainen, it wouldn’t just be about clearing space – it would be about maximizing trade value. So the obvious next question becomes: what exactly could the Flyers gain in return?
What could a package deal look like?
The Flyers have been keen on their asking price for Ristolainen, which has reportedly been similar to the Brandon Carlo deal from last year – a first-round pick and a prospect. Given Ristolainen’s injury concern, teams might not be willing to give up a first-round pick and a prospect for a player who might have a troubled injury history, but adding Brink in the package could cause other general managers around the league to look beyond that fact.
Brink is still a young player, only 24 years old, and has had a solid year as far as goal scoring is concerned, with a career high of 13 goals already this season. He would be an enticing player for any team around the league, even without Ristolainen attached to the deal. He would bring a spark of youth to any team he’s traded to, and his tenacity on the forecheck could easily improve a contending team’s third line.
With Brink included in a trade, the Flyers might be able to acquire their asking price of a first-round pick, without having to retain any money on Ristolainen’s contract, while freeing up a wing position in the middle six.
A package deal could include the young forward and Ristolainen, for a first-round pick and a blue-chip prospect – a few possibilities of which we discussed here.
The teams that are interested in Ristolainen are slowly beginning to twindle as the trade deadline inches closer, with the Dallas Stars – who were speculated to be the frontrunners in the Ristolainen sweepstakes – and the Edmonton Oilers both acquiring a defenseman.
All in all, if the Flyers truly want to maximize value at the deadline, attaching Bobby Brink to a Rasmus Ristolainen trade might be the kind of bold swing that gets Danny Briere the return he’s looking for. It would hurt to move the young winger – especially in the here and now – but turning a surplus asset into a first-round pick and a high-upside prospect is the exact type of deal Briere is going to need to make if he wants to keep this rebuild moving forward. With the clock ticking towards the trade deadline, this could be a career-defining trade if Briere were to pull it off.
