Ryan Lindgren decision, Rangers options on defense ahead of NHL Trade Deadline
With the annual NHL trade deadline less than three weeks away on March 7, the New York Rangers face a major decision about Ryan Lindgren and the makeup of their defense corps.
The 27-year-old is on an expiring contract with a $4.5 million salary cap hit and can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. A heart-and-soul warrior and top-pair partner with Adam Fox for six seasons, Lindgren’s immediate and long-term future with the Rangers is murky.
Because of his smaller physical stature and robust style of play, there’s legitimate concern Lindgren won’t age well and physically could diminish quicker than your average NHL defenseman. Though his game stabilized considerably from an awful start to the season following a broken jaw in the preseason, Lindgren may not be worth a long-term, high-priced commitment.
The general consensus is that the Rangers will move on from him after this season. Perhaps K’Andre Miller moves up into the top-pair role with Fox, and/or the Rangers can use some of their ample cap space this summer to acquire a left-shot defenseman to play a top-four role. The Rangers can also shift Braden Schneider to the left side in a top-four spot and acquire a more cost-effective option to take his spot on the right-side of the third pair.
In the short term, the Rangers must decide if Lindgren stays or goes ahead of the deadline. If they plan on letting him walk at season’s end, then getting something in return now does make sense, especially if it’s, say, a second-round pick. But then they’d need to fill a large hole in their defense corps. And, no, sliding Zac Jones into a regular role on the left side is not the answer for the Rangers.
So, is Lindgren more valuable as New York’s own rental? Why trade him only to have to use assets to acquire another defenseman for the short term? That is unless the Rangers make a bigger play and acquire a top-four defenseman who’s got term remaining on his contract.
And if Lindgren does stay, does general manager Chris Drury still go out and acquire a depth defenseman, perhaps to play third pair and slide Urho Vaakanainen into the extra defenseman role, or simply someone more trusted then Jones?
These are the balls Drury is juggling up in the air ahead of March 7 when it comes to the Rangers defense corps.
Related: Why Dave Maloney ‘shed a tear’ in Vancouver trips years before J.T. Miller trade
Defenseman option for Rangers ahead of NHL Trade Deadline
Note: Ivan Provorov, perhaps the top left-shot defenseman on an expiring contract is not on this list because the Columbus Blue Jackets are likely in go-for-it mode and will retain and possibly try to re-sign him. And if they do trade Provorov, it’s unlikely it’d be to the Rangers, with whom they’re battling for a playoff spot.
Also, Seth Jones’ name has come up recently. But it’s hard to believe the Rangers would have any interest in the high-priced 30-year-old defenseman, who has five seasons left at $9.5 million per and has struggled with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Ryan Lindgren – Rangers
Trade him now and get something of value in return before he walks as UFA at end of season? That seems the play to make. Except that he’s Fox’s favorite partner and fills the role of solid rental himself.
Carson Soucy – Canucks
A big (6-foot-5, 208 pounds) shutdown defenseman who’s best on a second pair role and is only available because the Vancouver Canucks just acquired Marcus Pettersson and signed him to a long-term deal. The 30-year-old is averaging more than 18 minutes TOI per game, has 85 blocked shots and 82 hits. Soucy has one season left on a contract that pays him an affordable $3.3 million annually.
Jamie Oleksiak – Kraken
Like Soucy, Oleksiak is a big (6-foot-7, 252 pounds) left-shot shutdown defenseman, who’s been a top-four regular, plays a physical game and is strong on the penalty kill. The 32-year-old also has a year left on his contract, that pays him $4.6 million annually. The Seattle Kraken may want to hold on to him, but it’s worth finding out if that’s the case for the Rangers.
Connor Murphy – Blackhawks
This is an intriguing option. Murphy is a better all-around player than Soucy or Oleksiak when healthy. That, however, is a big issue. The 31-year-old recently returned from a groin injury and has been injury-riddled in three of the past four seasons. Murphy also shoots right-handed, which means either he or Schneider would shift to the left. But there’s a lot to like here from the 6-foot-4 defenseman who averages right around 20 minutes per game and makes $4.4 million with another season on his contract.
Mario Ferraro – Sharks
Here’s another tough left-shot defenseman who fits the shutdown role in the top four. Ferraro has been a consistent 20-23 minute per game defenseman for the San Jose Sharks over his career and the 26-year-old remains a fierce competitor, not dissimilar to Lindgren. He’s got 117 hits and 81 blocked shots this season and plays on the PK. As part of one of the worst teams in the NHL, his plus/minus is ghastly, but an uptick could be expected finally playing with a good team. He also has one season left on his contract, worth $3.25 million
Bowen Byram – Sabres
OK, let’s think big, even though this is not completely realistic. Word is out that the Buffalo Sabres are open to trading the talented 23-year-old left-shot defenseman. Two drawbacks here for the Rangers: it’d cost quite a bit to land Byram in a trade; plus he’s an RFA with arbitration rights at the end of the season, like Miller, meaning they’d have two young defensemen to work out complicated contracts with. The upside is obvious. Byram is a gifted offensive defenseman who’s still improving and averages more than 23 minutes TOI this season. He’d be a long-term answer.
Brian Dumoulin – Ducks
On the other end of the spectrum is Dumoulin. The 33-year-old could be a second-pair defenseman on the left side if Lindgren is traded or a third-pair upgrade if he’s not. It wouldn’t cost much to pry the two-time Stanley Cup champion from the Anaheim Ducks and he’s a rental, set to become a UFA at season’s end.
David Savard – Canadiens
Similar to Dumoulin, Savard is a veteran who’s won the Stanley Cup and could prove to be an experienced depth defenseman. The 34-year-old is a right-shot on an expiring contract worth $3.5 million and could be play on the third pair if Schneider shifted to the left side assuming a Lindgren trade or be the seventh d-man if he doesn’t. The shot-blocking machine could pair with Schneider on the third pair, as another option, making Vaakanainen the extra defenseman.
More About:New York Rangers News
Read This Next
