It may have been the best thing for the New York Rangers and Ryan Lindgren to part ways during the 2024-25 season, but that doesn't mean it wasn’t sad.
After spending the entirety of his NHL career playing for the Rangers, Lindgren was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in March ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
When the trade was completed, Lindgren felt a sense of sadness, followed up by a feeling of excitement to embark on a new chapter.
“I spent the last six years in one spot,” Lindgren said. “And then, you wake up one morning, go to the rink, and find out you're moving to another team. And I think a lot of emotions go through that. Obviously, at first, you're very sad to leave that team, but you go to another team and realize ... just meeting everyone, and when you start playing games, it's a blast. It was a lot of fun to do that in Colorado and have a good team.”
The 27-year-old defenseman played in 18 games for the Avalanche, recording two goals, one assist, and three points while averaging 19:00 minutes.
The Avalanche had Stanley Cup aspirations, but ultimately were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Dallas Stars.
Lindgren departed Colorado to sign a four-year, $18 million contract with the Seattle Kraken at the start of the Free Agent Frenzy.
He now rejoins former Rangers teammate Kaapo Kakko, whom he raved about during his introductory press conference with the Kraken.
“He is one of my favorite guys I played with in my career, just such a good dude,” Lindgren said. “Everyone loves him, such a hard-working, great player. As soon as he went to Seattle last year, he really took off and played well. I’m excited to be back playing with him and really excited to see him again.”
Lindgren is one of many former Rangers defensemen to be traded from New York or leave the organization over the past year, in a list that includes Jacob Trouba, K’Andre Miller, and Zac Jones.
