The New York Rangers reintegrated Ryan Lindgren into the lineup two games ago after he completed a five-game recovery from injury. Traditionally, the tough defenseman has played alongside Adam Fox on the team’s top defensive pairing, but since his return, he has been placed on the lower pairing with rookie Victor Mancini.
With Lindgren being reassigned and in a contract year, trade speculation has already emerged. The Rangers are expected to engage in significant trades as the deadline approaches, making it advantageous for them to shed his salary.
A trade with the Utah Hockey Club could be beneficial. Recently, Utah announced that defenseman John Marino is sidelined for three to four months due to a lower back injury, a significant setback for the team in their inaugural season. Given this situation, they might be interested in acquiring Lindgren if he becomes available.
Utah has over $8 million in cap space, which would easily accommodate Lindgren’s $4.5 million salary. However, the Rangers must be open to parting with him. Lindgren will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and isn’t the only Ranger needing a new contract, as players like Igor Shesterkin, Alexis Lafreniere, and K’Andre Miller also require new deals. With limited resources to secure all these contracts, Lindgren could become expendable. While it’s still premature to conclude anything, a trade involving Lindgren—potentially with Utah or another team—seems plausible.
