A day after dropping a tough one-goal game to the Maple Leafs, the Rangers decided to move on from another core piece. On Saturday, they traded Ryan Lindgren to the Avalanche in a five-player deal that saved them $1.475 million in cap space.
A popular player in the locker room, Lindgren became a first pair defenseman after being acquired from the Bruins as part of the Rick Nash deal on Feb. 25, 2018. Seven years later, the 27-year-old former Bruins 2016 second round pick was sent with Jimmy Vesey, and defense prospect Hank Kempf to the Avalanche in exchange for Calvin de Haan, Jusso Parssinen, and conditional 2025 second round and fourth round picks.
In order to accommodate the Avalanche, the Rangers retained half of Lindgren’s $4.5 million salary to help them save money. Colorado is going for it. From their standpoint, it made sense to add a proven veteran in Lindgren who plays the game with a lot of intensity.
Nicknamed The Warrior, he will supply depth to an Avalanche blue line that isn’t exactly the strongest. Unlike the situation in New York City, he won’t have to play as big a role. The Avalanche feature All-Star duo Devon Toews and Cale Makar on the back end. An lower-body injury that’s kept Josh Manson out since Feb. 4 might have been the reason that Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic made the move for Lindgren. The Avs had a need in their lineup for a hard-nosed player who has a wealth of experience.
While it’s true that the taxing style was starting to show leaks in his defensive game, perhaps going to Colorado can reenergize Lindgren, who can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Never the best skater or the biggest defenseman, he was successful due to sheer will and determination. If you needed a big hit or diving block, Lindgren provided it for the Rangers. The guts he played with made him a fan favorite. Even if a few sour apples turned on him due to a predictable decline in his play. It isn’t easy to play those hard minutes. As often happens, classic overachievers like Lindgren play battered and bruised in big games. It took its toll.
When the Rangers became one of the league’s best teams, they were led by the tandem of Lindgren and Adam Fox. They played virtually every game together until coach Peter Laviolette experimented with K’Andre Miller and Fox at the start of this season. Eventually, Lindgren and Fox were put back together. They had chemistry due to having worked together for USA in the World Juniors. Fox provided the speed, skating and offense while Lindgren supplied the grit and physicality. A lot of the team’s success was due to Lindgren and Fox. When they appeared in two Eastern Conference Finals, it was with No. 55 and No. 23 as the top pair, followed by Miller and former captain Jacob Trouba.
Now, the Rangers have turned the page. Team president and general manager Chris Drury continues to remake a roster that has to be changed. Trouba went to Anahaim for Urho Vaakanainen. Will Borgen replaced Trouba after coming over from Seattle for Kaapo Kakko. With Fox sidelined due to an upper-body injury, the blue line will continue to look different. In adding veteran lefty de Haan, they get a no-frills player who is solid in his end. De Haan makes $800,000 on an expiring contract.
Ironically, in his final season as a Ranger, Lindgren tied a personal best in assists (17) and set a career high in points (19). However, his plus/minus (1) was way down from recent years. Giveaways were way up with a career worst 55. He still averaged 19:56 per game while used both at even strength and on the penalty kill where he was an asset. It’s often those blood and guts guys who make the best penalty killers. That was true of both Trouba and Lindgren because they sacrificed their bodies for the cause. The Rangers now have Borgen playing a similar role but need more out of Braden Schneider, who has struggled.
For Vesey, he finally gets a change. He wasn’t playing consistently for Laviolette, but still handled himself like a pro. In a recent 5-3 win against the Penguins, he returned to the lineup and had a goal and assist on Feb. 23. Less than a week later, Vesey will join Lindgren in Colorado on a playoff contender.
A year earlier, the well-respected veteran forward was part of a good fourth line with Barclay Goodrow and Matt Rempe. After notching 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points, he finished with only four goals and two helpers in 33 games this season. The 31-year-old is a solid checking forward who can kill penalties. He lost that role to emerging forward Will Cuylle, who scored his second shorthanded goal against the Maple Leafs on Friday night.
Similar to former Blueshirt Kakko, Vesey voiced his displeasure about his role under Laviolette, who’s made some puzzling decisions with the lineup. That included stapling Rempe to the bench along with rookie Brennan Othmann in the 3-2 regulation defeat against the Leafs to conclude February. Along with Jonny Brodzinski, they’d shown more than either Artemi Panarin or the ghost of Alexis Lafreniere, who didn’t establish himself in 20 minutes. Unlike last year when the Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy, minutes aren’t earned at The Garden. Accountability is out the window in Year 2 under Laviolette. Or is that Gerard Gallant in disguise?
For the Rangers, they added a third pair defenseman and a bottom six center who they hope can untap his potential. Parssinen is the key to the deal. A former Predators 2019 seventh round pick, the 24-year-old Finn is considered a checking forward who can excel defensively. If he can fulfill that role under the bright lights, then he could be a valuable player.
It’s the second time he’s been dealt this season. The Avalanche acquired Parssinen from the Predators on Dec. 28, 2024. In 22 games, he posted two goals and four assists with all six points coming at even strength while averaging 9:47 a night. He also added 41 hits. Parssinen’s best year was as a rookie when he had six goals and 19 assists for 25 points in 2022-23 with the Predators. He hasn’t been in the league that long. Maybe it’ll click in Manhattan. That depends on how he’s used by the wishy washy Laviolette.
Here are the conditions on the picks. The Rangers will receive the higher second round pick between the Hurricanes or Rangers pick. The Rangers will receive the better fourth round pick of the Avalanche or Canucks.
Basically, it comes down to Parssinen (restricted free agent) and the two picks who won’t be here for years. On paper, it sounds like a decent return for a player they weren’t re-signing. Lindgren will have a chance to help the Avs win. He’ll be cast in a different role under Avalanche coach Jared Bednar. That might be a better fit.
While I’m not crazy about the return, it opens the door for Zac Jones to play even when Fox comes back healthy. Jones has made it no secret that it’s been a challenging season for him. He went from playing with Schneider on the third pair to being the odd man out. Now, he’s slated to play with Schneider for Sunday’s game against the Predators. He was a minus-1 in 15:54 in his return to the lineup yesterday. God forbid Laviolette try Jones on the first power play unit instead of using five forwards.
If they really think so highly of Parssinen, I’d try him on the third line. I can’t imagine Laviolette will break up Brodzinski, Othmann, and Rempe. They seem to have good chemistry.
With Chris Kreider placed on the injured reserve, the Rangers recalled forward Brett Berard from Hartford. In his first stint, he had three goals and four assists for seven points in 19 games. My guess is that once Reilly Smith is traded before next week’s deadline, Berard will replace him in the lineup. However, what about Arthur Kaliyev? Is he already the odd man out? Nothing about this season makes sense. Nobody knows what Drury and the organization are thinking.
In some related news, the Predators traded Gustav Nyquist back to the Wild for a 2026 second round pick. A similar type player to Smith, that should set the market for Smith, who’s managed to put up 10 goals and 19 assists. That’s better than Nyquist, who had 20 points with the Predators before he was dealt. Smith turns 34 in April.
There’s six days left until the March 7 trade deadline. As it draws near, we’ll see more players getting moved. The Rangers should remain active.
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