Rangers' Ryan Lindgren opens up about pending free agency: 'This is home now'
TARRYTOWN - The Rangers ended their practice Sunday with a hearty round of stick taps and jeers for Ryan Lindgren, who turned 26 that day.
Few on the team elicit such a jovial response − a distinct mix of admiration and teasing − which speaks to the high regard with which the group holds the rugged defenseman.
He came over in a pivotal rebuild trade that netted a haul from the Boston Bruins in exchange for aging forward Rick Nash and debuted for the Blueshirts on Jan. 15, 2019. By the early the following season, the University of Minnesota established himself as a fixture in the lineup and a heart-and-soul member of their core. The ensuing five years have cemented that status, earning him a level of respect typically reserved for older players.
"It's crazy thinking about when I first got here," Lindgren told lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, from his locker at the MSG Training Center. "My first NHL game, I was 20. Then it’s like, you blink, and all of a sudden, I'm 26. It feels like I've been here a long time, but it’s also flying by. ... But I love being here. It’s a good way to spend the birthday."
It's hard to imagine the Rangers without No. 55, who brings a meat-and-potatoes mindset to a locker room that's heavy on star power and skill. And with his modest three-year, $9 million contract set to expire this summer, he isn't hiding his desire to continue in that role − or the fact that his pending free agency has crept into his mind.
But while many players internalize that pressure by focusing on individual goals, Lindgren understands the best way to prove his worth will come through team success.
"I’m human," he said. "You think about stuff like that. Obviously, it is a contract year, but I think about it more so as a team. How we play is obviously going to help that. If our team does well, then hopefully they want to keep me around or whatever it may be. But you just try not to think about it. It's hard not to, but it is what it is."
If Lindgren's contributions were judged solely on stats, keeping him around might be a hard sell.
He ranks last among the Rangers' six regular defensemen with eight points (two goals and six assists), which shouldn't come as a surprise − "Maybe the points aren't what I'm hoping for, but I know that's not my role and what they look at me to do," he said − but his underlying metrics also leave something to be desired. Lindgren is last among the team's D-men in expected-goal share at 44.47%, according to Evolving Hockey, which represents his worst rate in five years.
Still, head coach Peter Laviolette believes that focusing on the numbers doesn't tell the whole story.
"His impact on the game is not always written about," Laviolette said. "It’s the things that he does – the blocking shots, the physicality, the top minutes, the top lines, the penalty kill. It’s the physical way in which he plays the game, and the things that he battles through to play in those games. Because that type of player, I think, it can start to take a toll on you, and yet he’s there. He's reliable. He's dependable, and so, he's been outstanding for us this year."
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To that point, the Rangers lean on Lindgren as the yin to 2021 Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox's yang and entrust him to take on their most taxing defensive assignments. It typically works out for them, too, as they're outscoring opponents by a plus-seven margin while he's on the ice at even strength − which is tied with K'Andre Miller for best among their defensemen − while relying on him to log the second-most minutes on the NHL's fifth-ranked penalty kill.
Lindgren brings defensive integrity, situational awareness and unabashed grit that's lacking in other parts of the lineup, all while developing a reputation for selflessly doing whatever it takes to win.
His fearless play style takes a toll, particularly for a fairly undersized defenseman who's listed at 6-foot, 193 pounds. But he bounces up quickly from big hits, blocked shots and bloody scenes and bravely plays through pain, gutting his way to appearances in 51 of the Rangers' 53 games this season.
"His toughness is the key there," Miller said. "I can’t even say some of the things (I’ve seen him go through), but he’s a warrior. He’s done it all for us. Even when he’s not 100%, he still finds a way to give us his all and make sure he’s helping in whatever ways he can."
That never-quit attitude undoubtedly inspires his peers − "He’s the single best teammate a lot of people on this team have had," Miller said − and has made him an unquestioned team leader, despite the absence of a letter on his chest. But it's fair to wonder if and when all of the punishment will catch up to him.
Concerns about how his body will hold up may limit how many years team president Chris Drury is willing to offer a restricted free agent who will have arbitration rights for the first time this summer, but the expectation is that agreeable terms won't be hard to come by for two sides who have a high level of mutual respect.
Frankly, it would be more difficult to land another proven top-four defenseman on the open market who fits into Lindgren's expected $3 million-to-$4 million AAV range − and there's no doubt that going in a different direction would put a dent in team chemistry.
Lindgren's previous contract came together less than a week after Drury ascended to his current role and may still stand as this regime's easiest negotiation. They wasted no time getting it done, with the Burnsville, Minn. native gladly signing one day after the end of the 2020-21 season.
He's hopeful for another swift process that will extend his stay in New York, where he can continue to play his heart out and lead by example.
"This is home now," Lindgren said. "I want to be here as long as I possibly can. I love the guys, I love the city, and obviously we’re a really good team. There’s nowhere I'd rather be."
NY Rangers (34-16-3) projected lineup: Game 54 vs. Montreal Canadiens (22-23-8)
When: Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden
TV/Radio: MSG Network/98.7 FM
Forwards
Top line ⊳ Chris Kreider (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Blake Wheeler (RW)
Second line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Alexis Lafrenière (RW)
Third line ⊳ Will Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Jonny Brodzinski (C) ⋄ Kaapo Kakko (RW)
Fourth line ⊳ Adam Edström (LW) ⋄ Barclay Goodrow (C) ⋄ Jimmy Vesey (RW)
Defensemen
Top pair ⊳ K'Andre Miller (L) ⋄ Jacob Trouba (R)
Second pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren (L) ⋄ Adam Fox (R)
Third pair ⊳ Erik Gustafsson (L) ⋄ Braden Schneider (R)
Goalies
Starter ⊳ Jonathan Quick
Backup ⊳ Igor Shesterkin
Long-term injured reserve: F Filip Chytil (upper body)
Healthy scratch: F Alex Belzile and D Zac Jones
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rangers' Ryan Lindgren on pending free agency: 'This is home now'
