Kraken Preseason Profile
Ryan Lindgren
27-year-old, left shot defenseman
6-foot, 195 pounds.
No PP, Yes PK
If the Seattle Kraken are looking to build team identity, they took a step in the right direction with the acquisition of defenseman Ryan Lindgren. The 27-year-old free agent signed for four years back on July 1st.
“I think I’m really hard to play against,” he said Saturday when asked about his attributes. “I’m competitive, I’m hard on the puck, I’m physical. I try to make smart plays, especially on the ‘D’ side of it. Get the puck in the forwards hands and join the rush when I can, but when I’m shutting down players, kind of in their face, and physical, I think that’s when I’m at my best.”
The more the merrier as it relates to physical defensemen, with Kraken blueliners Jamie Oleksiak and Adam Larsson already somewhat large-and-in-charge. Lindgren brings fresher legs; five years younger than the two aforementioned, and that brand new contract. The $4.5-million cap hit is exactly the amount he earned last season with the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche, the latter being a team he joined at the trade deadline.
Prior to that, Lindgren earned $3-million a season for three years as the perfect compliment to offensive-minded righty D-man Adam Fox, who won the Norris Trophy with the Broadway Blueshirts as the NHL’s best defenseman back in 2021.
Last season, despite seemingly entering his prime, Lindgren slowed down a bit. While he matched a career high with 96 blocked shots on the season, his giveaway to takeaway ratio was abysmal and his hit ratio, those given to those taken, was also a career worst.
Were the Rangers that big of a mess last season? Apparently so. Many had them as a lock playoff team, one that fell six points short of a wild card spot. Of course, Lindgren wasn’t around for that finish; the Blueshirts had shipped the pending unrestricted free agent to the Avalanche on March 1st.
Maybe this change of scenery will mean as much to Lindgren as it did to his former Rangers teammate and good pal Kaapo Kakko, who came to the Kraken via trade last December. Kakko began to flourish.
“One of my real good buddies in New York, we lived pretty close to each other in the City, so we drove together every day from the City out to the practice rink,” Lindgren said of his Finnish friend. “We got to know each other really well, one of my favorite teammates that I’ve gotten to play with, such a good dude.”
Lindgren expressed his excitement for having a good friend, and some familiarity, in a new dressing room.
The Kraken hope the happy, productive vibes rub off.
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