After a slow-moving trade market, the floodgates opened ahead of the March 6th NHL trade deadline, including a surplus of defensemen on the move on Wednesday.

First, the Ty Myers stalemate finally came to an end, with the Vancouver Canucks sending the lanky defenseman to the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 2027 2nd-round pick and a 2029 4th-round pick.

That trade was followed by a blockbuster. The Buffalo Sabres are BUYERS, and they spent big. Buffalo acquired defenseman Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for 2025 9th overall pick Radim Mrtka and a 1st-rounder.

Parayko does have a no-trade clause, but it’s expected to be waived.

Not long after that, Elliotte Friedman reported that another star defenseman, with a no-trade clause, could be on the move. MacKenzie Weegar may be headed to the Utah Mammoth.

Also today: hearing Utah and Calgary are closing in on a MacKenzie Weegar deal that awaits his approval.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 4, 2026

The return is not yet clear, but I would not expect it to be cheap. Friedman has reported that the trade has been brought to Weegar, and now we await his decision.

After a slow-moving market earlier in the week, the RHD market has thinned out of nowhere. It seems like four of the top names on the defense market ahead of the NHL trade deadline are now off the board. That leaves Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen at, or around, the top of the remaining list.

So, how do Wednesday’s trades affect the Ristolainen’s market?

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Wednesday’s NHL trades impact on the Ristolainen market

With Connor Murphy and Ty Myers off the board, and Parayko and Weegar expected to be moved, that leaves Justin Faulk (STL) and Zach Whitecloud (CGY) as the other names on that list with Ristolainen. Faulk is the only one who will really rival the Flyers’ defenseman.

Among the teams looking for a defenseman and yet to land one are the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings, with the Tampa Bay Lightning expected to be lurking as well.

It feels like a good bet that one of those two or three teams will end up biting on Ristolainen. Whether that be as their top guy, or that he is the best option remaining, the market will be there.

Both Murphy and Myers fetched at least a 2nd-rounder for their former teams. That mixed with the haul Buffalo gave up for Parayko, the Flyers’ ask of a 1st-rounder and a decent-to-good prospect for Ristolainen looks realistic.

If anything, the steep price for Parayko will raise the floor for Ristolainen.

Now, the question becomes, will the Flyers do it? I see the Red Wings and the Bruins as the major players remaining.

They say good things come to those who wait. But right now, it seems there has been a shift from a buyer’s market to a seller’s market. With big names likely on the move, all eyes will shift to Ristolainen once these big NHL trades are finalized.

Read More: Flyers Trade Deadline: Forecasting Moves & A Bold Prediction