Ryan Lindgren reflects on leaving the Rangers, joining the Avalanche, and his focus on winning a Stanley Cup in Colorado (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
The Colorado Avalanche have reshaped their team since the start of the season. It started with goaltending, but more moves were needed heading into the NHL Trade Deadline. Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland knew his team needed a second-line center and depth on defense to be a championship team once again. Thus, he acquired Brock Nelson and Ryan Lindgren.
Both players have made an impact on the Avalanche, filling their roles perfectly. Lindgren has slotted in nicely on the Avalanche defense, taking pressure off Cale Makar and Devon Toews and solidifying their top four.
As he told RG exclusively, he was not surprised a trade was coming out of New York, given the circumstances surrounding his status as an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
“I think, I mean, I was kind of expecting it a little bit. You just kind of see your name out there with different rumors and all that,” Lindgren told RG. “But I think the day when I did get traded, I definitely wasn’t expecting it that day. It was just kind of a normal practice day. There were still a couple of days until the deadline. Laviolette told me and [Jimmy] Vesey that we had to go meet with [Chris] Drury, and you just kind of figured from there that something was happening. It was definitely tough to get traded from there, but you realize it’s a business, and that’s what they thought was best. And you just got to kind of understand that.”
Lindgren is a pending unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He is coming off a one-year deal paying him $4.5 million. His next contract offer will be life-changing in terms of the most money he will get in his career. Knowing he could be traded, Lindgren did not know where he would go.
The one place he did not expect to go was Colorado and have a chance to make another deep run with a team that is in contention year in and year out for the Stanley Cup. But there he went a couple of days before the March 7 Trade Deadline.
“And yeah, when he told us we were going to Colorado, you’re obviously a lot of emotions going on, getting traded from New York, the place I’ve only known and really loved being there.
So saying goodbye to all the guys and all the staff was really tough,” Lindgren said. “But yeah, once I got to Colorado and met all the guys, and then they made some more moves for Brock and Charlie. So, yeah, it’s really exciting to be here now. It’s such a great team, and having a lot of fun.”
Looking Back at New York, Focusing on Colorado
It’s no surprise that he is having fun again playing hockey. He is in a stable situation in Colorado. There has been a lot of dysfunction and drama surrounding the New York Rangers this season. As RG has documented, the Rangers had several players involved in trade talks as their GM decided to change how the team was going to be built after the start of the season.
Lindgren had been a mainstay on the Rangers’ defense corps alongside Adam Fox. That is all he ever knew as a player. But despite all the chaos in New York this season, he did not have a bad thing to say about what happened during his final year there. Lindgren loved being a member of the New York Rangers.
“I can’t say enough about it. I mean, I absolutely loved being there. Just the guys on that team. I got so close to them. It’s such an amazing group from all the guys I got to play with. It really was special,” Lindgren explained. “After missing the playoffs in my first couple of years, and then we had that run with [Gerard] Gallant to the Conference Final that year against Tampa and came up short. We knew we had a really good team. And we were fortunate enough last year to win the President’s Trophy and make another good run before falling to a really good Florida team. But yeah, I really loved and enjoyed everything about New York—the fans, the staff there, the team, and everything about it.”
As Lindgren said, it is a business, and the business side of things says he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. It could be the biggest contract Lindgren gets in his career. However, the goal is winning a Stanley Cup, not his next contract.
“I’m not thinking about that right now,” Lindgren added.
“I want to focus on playing hockey and improving my game to help the team win and reach our ultimate goal.”
And winning is what the Avalanche are doing right now—winners of 10 of 12 games as they climb up the Central Division standings, battling the Dallas Stars for home ice in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Lindgren has three points, including two goals, during his time with the Avalanche.
Lindgren is a warrior and continues to be a crucial piece of a defensive corps on a team that has championship aspirations.
Jim Biringer
