The Seattle Kraken signed defenseman Ryan Lindgren to a four-year contract in free agency, which carries a $4.5 million cap hit.
Starting his profession with the Recent York Rangers, Lindgren spent parts of six seasons with the organization. But because the Rangers made changes this past season amidst a disappointing 12 months, the defender was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche ahead of the trade deadline. Across 72 games between the teams this past season, Lindgren managed 22 points while averaging close to twenty minutes per game in ice time.
Below is an evaluation of how Lindgren’s recent contract looks for the Kraken.
Ryan Lindgren could help to round out the Kraken’s blue line
Over his time in Recent York, Lindgren was capable of grow his role and spent a bit of it as Adam Fox’s defense partner. While Lindgren would typically only post between 15-20 points per 12 months, at his best, he was defensively reliable and hard to play against. Across 328 games between 2019-20 and 2023-24 particularly, Lindgren held a plus-105 rating.
In fact, Lindgren didn’t thrive under head coach Peter Laviolette. Ultimately, his value had declined quite a bit by the point he was sent to the Avalanche last season.
Nevertheless, the profit with Seattle’s blue line is that Lindgren won’t should tackle too large of a job. We all know that Vince Dunn, Brandon Montour and Adam Larsson will tackle essentially the most minutes. Then with other capable defenders in Jamie Oleksiak and Ryker Evans as well, Lindgren can profit from a rather reduced role.
A four-year contract is sensible for Lindgren’s deal. Any shorter, and Lindgren could be serving as more of a brief fit. The defenseman continues to be just 27 years old, and the deal will keep him through what needs to be a few of the peak years of his profession. If Lindgren works out in Seattle, the team can profit for a great variety of years.
Nevertheless, any longer, and there’d be quite a bit more risk. Lindgren had some inconsistent results over his final stretch in Recent York, and we do not know where his game can be a few years down the road. Based on the present term, if Lindgren is not an ideal slot in Seattle, it’s less of a problem than if he had been signed for 5 or 6 years. Plus, there is a greater likelihood of with the ability to move the contract if needed.
Lindgren’s $4.5M cap hit is available in as projected
Lindgren’s $4.5M per 12 months also marks a good cap hit. It is also the identical number he signed for on his most up-to-date one-year extension with the Rangers. I had previously projected a four-year contract for Lindgren to are available in at a $4.25M cap hit, at HockeyComparables.com.
At a $4.5M cap hit, Lindgren can be only be the fifth-highest paid defender on the Kraken. Because of this, his contract doesn’t really necessitate Lindgren getting used in too large of a job, given the team has been capable of spread quite a little bit of money across several defenders. It is also low-cost enough that it shouldn’t really prevent the team from making other moves in the approaching years.
Plus, the cap hit will only proceed to look higher because the salary cap continues to rise. Especially if Lindgren proves to be a great slot in Seattle, the deal could find yourself bringing really good value.
Limited trade protection within the deal
One other bonus with Lindgren’s deal is that it comes with minimal trade protection. The contract comes with just a six-team no-trade list for the complete 4 years, per PuckPedia.com.
Because of this, it leaves the Kraken with options. If an even bigger deal did emerge, it could at all times be possible to make use of Lindgren as a trade chip in some unspecified time in the future. On the flip side, if the defender didn’t fit as intended in Seattle, there’s the opportunity of with the ability to move the contract.
Obviously, the goal is that Lindgren can be an efficient defender in Seattle until 2029. However the limited trade protection does leave the team with options, if needed.
Contract grade
In signing Lindgren, the Kraken add one other piece to assist round out their blue line. A four-year term was expected for Lindgren, which limits a few of the risk that will’ve include an extended deal. Meanwhile, Lindgren’s $4.5M cap hit is available in near expected, and will look good if the defender proves to be a solid fit. With Lindgren still just 27 years old and the Kraken also giving limited trade protection within the contract, this can be a worthwhile gamble for Seattle.
Kraken grade: B
For Lindgren, it’s difficult to assume him getting a bigger deal elsewhere. His value has fallen a bit lately, but he still managed to sign his biggest contract yet. He’ll have term security, and does look to be a great fit for the team’s blue line on paper. Plus, at a four-year term, he has the chance to accumulate his value over the deal, and potentially money in with one other big contract in 2029.
Lindgren grade: B+