NHL player injury: Philadelphia Flyers lose $25.5 million veteran defenseman to two weeks due to upper-body injury concerns

The Philadelphia Flyers have received a major blow as they lose $25.5 million veteran defenseman to two weeks after suffering an injury. As per reports, veteran defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen expected to miss approximately two weeks after aggravating an upper-body injury.The unfortunate news comes at a difficult time for Philadelphia who recently started building momentum following a disappointing opening stretch to the 2026-27 NHL season. Earlier, Ristolainen missed several weeks before making his comeback against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. But, it seems his stay with the club proved short-lived as the Flyers had to confirm that Ristolainen would be sidelined again after recently returning to the lineup.Rasmus Ristolainen expected to miss approximately two weeks suffering an upper-body injuryThe Philadelphia Flyers had to unfortunately sideline their veteran defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen for approximately two weeks after he suffered an aggravation of an upper-body injury, adding defensive concerns for the team early in the NHL season.As per reports, the 31-year-old returned to the lineup against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday after missing three weeks of action. However, his comeback was short-lived, as the Flyers confirmed that he would be sidelined again because of the injury.The Flyers took to their social media to announce on social media on Monday that veteran defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is expected to miss at least the next two weeks with an injury. The Flyers stated, “Injury update: Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (upper-body) is expected to be out approximately two weeks.”Rasmus Ristolainen’s performance and journey so far with the NHLAs per reports, Ristolainen entered the NHL after the Buffalo Sabres selected him eighth overall in the 2013 draft. He spent his first eight seasons with Buffalo before being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2021 for defenseman Robert Hagg and draft picks, including a first-rounder that year and a second-round selection in 2023.Ristolainen signed a five-year extension with Philadelphia in March 2022. According to PuckPedia, Rasmus Ristolainen signed a 5-year, $25 million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on Mar 10, 2022. The contract has a cap hit of $5,100,000 and expires at the end of the 2026-27 season. He is now playing out the final season of that deal, which carries a $5.1 million salary-cap hit.As per the NHL, so far Ristolainen has played 824 regular-season games, where he has recorded 58 goals and 261 assists. He has also appeared in 10 playoff games, all coming this past spring, with one goal and four assists.Philadelphia had recently recorded three consecutive victories against the Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres before suffering the defeat against Anaheim. The team will now look to maintain its momentum without one of its experienced defensemen.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.