First Chris Kreider, and now with our Ryan Lindgren report card, we are kicking off report card season hopefully remembering the good both brought in their Rangers tenures while being fair in reviewing their performances last season. Like Kreider, Lindgren was a fan favorite who was traded for futures. Lindgren had spent 6 years in New York after being acquired in the Rick Nash trade, and though a fan favorite, his final year was pretty rough.
Lindgren had been aging poorly for a few seasons before last year when the Rangers did not commit long term to the “top pairing” defenseman. It was clear to many that Lindgren was no longer a top pairing defenseman, though he was routinely forced to play up in the lineup as Peter Laviolette stuck with “ole reliable,” even if it wasn’t reliable anymore. His role wasn’t necessarily his fault, but we have to grade out our Ryan Lindgren report card with this in mind.
You don’t need charts or stats to know that Lindgren really struggled in his final two years. Never an offensive driver, Lindgren’s strengths were in his skating and ability to defend high danger areas in his own zone. Unfortunately injuries caught up with Lindgren and his effectiveness faded over time. The big issue with Lindgren wasn’t necessarily his fault, as no one on the coaching staff was willing to move him down in the lineup. His defensive metrics absolutely tanked due to these injuries and ineffectiveness. His elevated role didn’t help matters either.
Though Lindgren put up his best offensive season with 19 points, also tying his career high in assists, he was a significant net negative on the ice. We simply won’t know what could have been if either Laviolette or Gerard Gallant moved Lindgren down in the lineup as he started to struggle and show significant wear and tear.
Lindgren was a warrior for the Rangers. There’s an alternate universe where he is moved down in the lineup and K’Andre Miller is moved up. Perhaps we see the Rangers take Florida to 7 games in the 2024 playoffs if this happens. But it never did. Lindgren’s decline was inevitable, but his role had significant impact in accelerating the decline. This year was no different. He tried, he just couldn’t do it in that role anymore.
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