The Colorado Avalanche took care of some major business by re-signing trade deadline acquisition Brock Nelson. Nelson’s three-year deal ended speculation regarding a major hole in Colorado’s lineup for next season.
But there’s another key UFA on this Avalanche’s to-do list this summer: Ryan Lindgren. Lindgren came over from the New York Rangers in another major trade deadline deal, adding some much-needed stability to the team’s blue line.
With Lindgren most likely headed to free agency this summer, the big question lies in the Avalanche’s ability to re-sign him.
So, it’s worth taking a look at Ryan Lindgren’s projected value to determine just how feasible it is for the Avs to re-sign the 27-year-old rearguard.
Let’s start by looking at Lindgren’s expired deal. He signed a one-year deal with the New York Rangers last offseason worth $4.5 million. It was a stopgap contract intended to get Lindgren to unrestricted free agency.
However, the Rangers had no intention of keeping Lindgren if they weren’t confident they could re-sign him. So, off to Colorado, he went.
Since arriving in Colorado, he registered two goals and three points in 18 games. All right, so we know that Lindgren isn’t an offensive defenseman.
But it’s Lindgren’s value away from the offensive side of the equation that marks his value. According to PuckPedia’s Player Cards from the Pro Hockey Group, Lindgren gets high marks for hockey IQ, a 90, to be exact.
Lindgren also gets top marks for consistency (90), defensive zone starts (89), and penalty kill (90).
Based on the numbers, PuckPedia projects Ryan Lindgren as a second-pairing D-man. Looks solid on paper, considering he doesn’t offer much in the way of offense.
The Athletic values Lindgren’s next contract as a three-year deal with a cap hit of $4.02 million per season. That number sounds reasonable when considering the going rate for mid-tier defensemen around the league.
In my estimation, the Colorado Avalanche could land Lindgren at around $4 to $5 million per season on a longer-term deal, perhaps one in the four to five-year range. If that’s the case, the Colorado Avalanche could have the flexibility to move one of Josh Manson or Samuel Girard, if circumstances came to it.
Why keeping Ryan Lindgren makes sense for Colorado Avalanche
Let’s start by discussing why the New York Rangers got rid of Lindgren in the first place. The Rangers were in a tough sport as they needed to clear cap space for the moves they wanted to make.
Moreover, the team felt that they could lose Lindgren for nothing. In the team, it looks like it will be that way. The two players going back to New York from Colorado were Calvin de Haan and Juuso Parissinen.
De Haan looks like he’ll walk in free agency this year. As for Parssinen, the Rangers signed him to a two-year deal worth $2.5 million. He’ll naturally fill a fourth-line role with the Rangers.
The big value the Rangers got were the second and fourth-rounders in this year’s draft. Since you never know with draft picks, these could be a home run for the Rangers. We shall see.
But beyond the price paid for Lindgren, it would make sense for the Avalanche to keep him around. He’s a second-pairing blue liner who could move up to play with Cale Makar if Devon Toews gets hurt.
Moreover, Lindgren could slide down to the third pairing if both Manson and Girard are available in the second pair. But putting Lindgren on the third pair would be a waste. So, it seems to be that a Girard-Lindgren pair could make sense with one of them playing on their offside.
Lastly, there’s one other consideration. Josh Manson is entering the final year of this current contract which carries a $4.5 million cap hit. Perhaps the Avs will be looking to move said final year, especially as injuries have become a concern for the 33-year-old over the last couple of seasons.
I’m just speculating, here. But there could certainly be another move on the horizon prompting the Avalanche to resign Lindgren before another team swoops in to take him.