This offseason the New York Rangers have not made any big moves on defense, as they re-signed veteran blueliner Chad Ruhwedel and let Erik Gustafsson go in free agency. They also signed a restricted free agent. They re-signed Braden Schneider to a two-year deal and will now look to re-sign restricted free agent Ryan Lindgren, who will be a key player for them this season.
Lindgren’s Play
During the 2019-20 season, Lindgren became a mainstay, playing alongside star defenseman Adam Fox. Though the lefty did not produce much offensively, he played well in a shutdown role, relying on his intelligence and positioning in the defensive zone and never passing up the chance to throw hits.
Lindgren has continued to play on the Rangers’ top defense pair with Fox despite the emergence of K’Andre Miller. Last season he had a few injuries but only missed six games in all. He has dealt with numerous injuries in his first five full NHL seasons but rarely misses much time with the exception coming in 2022-23 when he missed more than a month with an upper-body injury.
Last season Lindgren finished with three goals, 14 assists, and was plus-22 in 76 games. His numbers were solid for a defensive defenseman but his Corsi for percentage dipped to 42.5 after it was 49.6 in 2022-23. He was also an integral part of the Rangers’ penalty kill which was third-best in the NHL at 84.5 percent.
Lindgren has also proven to be a dependable player for the Rangers in the playoffs. He is poised with the puck in the defensive zone and rarely gets caught out of position. Surprisingly, he has also come through with some timely plays offensively. Last postseason he made a nice cross-ice pass to set up Chris Kreider’s series-clinching goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 6 of their second-round matchup. He also assisted on Alex Wennberg’s overtime goal against the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. He has three goals, eight assists, and is plus-11 in 43 career playoff games.
The Rangers’ Defense Core for 2024-25
Right now it looks like the Rangers will head into 2024-25 with a similar group of defensemen as they had in 2023-24. The sixth spot in the starting lineup will likely go to lefty Zac Jones who played very well last season while filling in for injured blueliners but was benched in favor of Gustafsson last postseason.
Related: Zac Jones Has Earned Regular Lineup Spot on 2024-25 Rangers
Though the other five starting defensemen on the Rangers will likely remain the same, there could certainly be changes in their defense pairings. Schneider briefly replaced Jacob Trouba in the top four last postseason and could certainly step into that role in 2024-25 given that the Rangers’ captain struggled late last season.
Head coach Peter Laviolette could also move Miller up to the first pair with Fox as he is an excellent skater and has shown more offensive upside than Lindgren. The move also makes sense given that Fox is elite in a lot of areas but is not a fast skater.
Lindgren would still play a big role for the Rangers even if he is moved down from the top defense pair. He could play with Schneider or Trouba and continue to play in a shutdown role on the second or third defense pair. He should also continue to play an important role on the penalty kill. He is willing to battle in front of the net and take hits to make plays but playing a little less often at even strength could help him avoid wearing down this season.
For Lindgren and the Rangers Moving Forward
One of the Rangers’ next moves this offseason is expected to be re-signing Lindgren. The restricted free agent has established himself as a trustworthy defensive defenseman who has helped the team make it to the Eastern Conference Final in two of the last three seasons.
Lindgren may play on a different defense pair this season, but he should continue to be a very important player for the Rangers.
