The NHL trade deadline has officially passed, and the Philadelphia Flyers made a handful of moves. Friday was headlined by the decision to hold on to defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and trade forward Bobby Brink.

Among the other moves made, forward Nicolas Deslauriers was traded to Carolina, and the Flyers made a minor-league swap with the Boston Bruins.

Headed into deadline week, it was unclear whether the Flyers would be busy or not. They are not out of the playoff race, but they are certainly not in the thick of it. So the sell or not sell questions were raised.

The Flyers’ biggest trade chip at the deadline was Ristolainen. Other players like Carl Grundtsrom, Noah Juulsen, Nicolas Deslauriers, Bobby Brink, and Owen Tippett were expected to draw interest. Brink and Deslauriers were the only ones to get traded.

The trades that they did make were great. Any time you have the chance to flip a surplus position for a high-end prospect at a position of need is great. If the Flyers had waited until the offseason to trade Brink, they would not have gotten anything more than a 2nd-round pick. David Jiricek is a much better value than the pick. While he is a project, Jiricek still has plenty of potential.

Flyers GM Danny Briere also did right by a veteran forward who has been an excellent professional in the organization. Trading Deslauriers to Carolina gives him a chance to chase a Stanley Cup.

While the trades made were great, the Flyers’ trade deadline was not enough.

Read More: Rasmus Ristolainen Not Traded By Flyers Before the Deadline; Full Analysis

Why the Flyers’ deadline fell short

The biggest reason the Flyers’ trade deadline fell short was that they were unable to capitalize on the post-Olympic surge of Ristolainen’s value.

Simply put, I am not so sure that Ristolainen’s value will ever be higher than it was following the Olympics. Obviously, there is something to say about what he can bring to the team and the value that he has. With another year under contract, they did not have to trade him. If the plan is to compete next season, then having someone like Ristolainen on the blueline certainly won’t hurt.

However, as we touched on yesterday, the Flyers created a new logjam at right-shot defensemen. Briere said when the time comes for both Jiricek and Oliver Bonk, they will make room for them on the roster. However, it’s hard to see how they’ll make room for them other than moving on from Ristolainen. So, if the plan is to move on eventually, why not do it now and get the maximum value?

There was an opportunity to stash more assets to take a big swing in the offseason to help the team take the next step. That opportunity was missed.

Another reason the Flyers’ deadline falls short in my eyes was that if Ristolainen did not have to be traded because he has another year left, then why not move some of the pending UFAs? Carl Grunstrom and Noah Juulsen are both on expiring deals. I can see Grundstrom possibly being resigned, but if there was any trade interest, why not stack assets?

For a team that is more than likely not playoff-bound, only making two subtractions feels rather disappointing.

The trades the Flyers made were good, but their deadline was not good enough.

Read More: Flyers Trade Bobby Brink to Wild for Former Top-10 Pick David Jiricek; Full Analysis