Rangers player who must be traded soon
Yesterday at 08:39 PM
Ryan Lindgren and the New York Rangers are not having a great time on the ice by any means. New York entered play on Friday having lost 11 of their last 14 games. And it seems as if the sky is falling on a Rangers team that made the Eastern Conference Finals back in late May. The Rangers have traded Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken and Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks to correct the course.
Whether of not these moves help New York certainly remains to be seen. In any event, the Rangers are trying to make do with what they have now. With the NHL’s holiday roster freeze now in effect, they have time to think about their next move. They have three games between now and when the roster freeze is lifted on December 28.
The roster freeze expiring does not mean the Blueshirts will be immediately active, though. But things could change soon as the calendar flips to 2025. If things continue downward, this is a team that could ignite a fire sale of sorts. And if that happens, there is one player in particular who should be traded as soon as possible.
Ryan Lindgren could be of interest to other teams
Ryan Lindgren entered this season playing an important role on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. Lindgren also entered the 2024-25 season knowing it was a crucial one for his career. The Rangers defenseman is a free agent this summer and could have commanded a large contract on the open market.
However, the league’s perception of him may certainly be changing, and not for the better. Lindgren is still playing a rather large role on New York’s blueline through his 26 games played this year. But his performances on the ice are not inspiring in the slightest.
Lindgren has the second-lowest Expected Goals For Percentage at 5v5 among New York defenders, according to Evolving Hockey. He also has the third-lowest On-Ice Save Percentage at 5v5. When looking at all strengths, Lindgren has the lowest GF%, xGF%, and the third-highest Corsi Against Per 60 Minutes among defensemen on the Rangers.
This sort of performance is simply not good enough. Especially for a team that hopes to turn this thing around and make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. As a result, the Rangers could look to trade Lindgren and see if they can salvage his depleted trade value.
There is a glimmer of hope in that regard, too. Lindgren has not played well, but there are some underlying numbers that paint him in a better light. For instance, he has the third-highest On-Ice Save Percentage on New York’s blueline. It’s not saying a whole lot given his appalling numbers in other areas, but it’s something.
A team could look at Lindgren’s previous body of work when making a trade, as well. Since 2019-20, only one defenseman has a higher WAR than Lindgren for the Rangers. That is perennial Norris Trophy candidate Adam Fox. Lindgren also has the second-highest Defensive Goals Above Replacement on New York’s blueline since 2019-20.
Lindgren has proven in the past that he can be a very reliable defenseman. He is certainly struggling now, and that will hurt his trade value if he cannot improve his form on the ice. In any event, there could still be a solid defenseman underneath the poor form. The Rangers should sell that to other teams and see if they can’t add some forward depth in a trade.
The post Rangers player who must be traded soon appeared first on ClutchPoints.
