Ryan Lindgren eager for new opportunity with Seattle Kraken

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DALLAS, TX - APRIL 28: Ryan Lindgren #55 of the Colorado Avalanche handles the puck against the Dallas Stars in the second period of Game Five of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the American Airlines Center on April 28, 2025 in Da (Glenn James / NHLI / Getty Images)

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SEATTLE - After a turbulent 2024-25 season that saw him change teams for the first time in his seven-year career, new Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren is eager for a new opportunity in Seattle.

"I'm really excited," Lindgren said. "A team that seems like they're up-and-coming right now. They're got a lot of really good young talent mixed in with some older guys that are really good players. I'm just really excited to join this team. Just try to help build a culture there of hard work and winning, so yeah, I'm just really excited."

Lindgren, 27, signed a four-year contract with the Kraken this week worth $4.5 million a season in average annual value. Lindgren was one of several players moved out by the New York Rangers last year during a season that spiraled out of the playoffs. He was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in March and became a free agent after the season.

"I spent the last six years in one spot, and then you wake up one morning, go to the rink and find out you're moving to another team," Lindgren said. "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. And it was a lot of fun to do that in Colorado and have a good team, and finding out that I get to go to Seattle and kind of start that journey all over again, where you meet a bunch of great new people and kind of start fresh. So yeah, I'm just, I'm really, really looking forward to it."

Seattle winger Kaapo Kakko is another player the Rangers moved on from last season, along with captain and defenseman Jacob Trouba, and winger Barclay Goodrow. Lindgren is happy to be reuniting with Kakko in the northwest.

"One of my favorite guys I've played with in my career," Lindgren said. "Just such a good dude. Everyone loves him. Such a hard worker, such a great player. I know as soon as he went to Seattle last year he really took off and played really well so I'm excited to be back playing with him and just really excited to see him again."

Despite being a defense-first defenseman, Lindgren set career-highs in assists (18), and points (22) and matched a career-high in goals (4) over 72 games split between New York and Colorado. But despite the offensive production, Lindgren was viewed as having a down year compared to previous seasons.

He averaged a +21 plus/minus rating each season from 2019-2024 before having an even 0 rating last season as part of the struggles with the Rangers. He has appeared in 50 career postseason games, posting 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) and a +16 rating.

"I think looking back on last year, you know, I broke my jaw to start the season in training camp, and you know, that was a long, hard process to kind of get back from that," Lindgren said. "And, you know, maybe it took me a little bit to kind of find my footing when I did come back. But I think when I when I did, I thought I played well, and there, obviously there's going to be hiccups throughout the throughout the season, but I think I played well. And then going to Colorado, you know, I thought I did well. So it's going to be a roller coaster, no matter what the season is, and just got to battle through it."

Lindgren led the Rangers in short-handed ice time as a key penalty killer for New York before he was traded to the Avalanche in March and ranked in the top 50 of the league in blocked shots last season.

"I'm not going to change anything about my game. I just want to go there and compete every night, you know, do the best that I can to keep the puck out of our own net," he said. "And basically, that's my biggest role, is being that defensive defenseman, that penalty kill kind of guy, and just try to do my best job with that and chip in offensively when I can. But so many great defensemen on that team, so many guys and I'm going to be able to learn from and hopefully help out as well."

Lindgren will be playing with a new defensive partner in Seattle after spending much of his time in New York alongside former Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox. A pairing with Brandon Montour would seem like an ideal fit on the surface for the Kraken, but that will be determined when the team gets on the ice for training camp in September.

"I think it's really exciting to have that new opportunity," Lindgren said. "I played with Foxy for a majority of my NHL career and that was a lot of fun, but now it's time to move on and play with someone new. And like you said, I think it starts really in training camp. Everyone kind of seems like they play with everyone throughout camp, and you just try to build chemistry, you try to see what works with guys and you just kind of try to figure it out, whether it's in the practice or the games."

Lindgren is also familiar with the style of hockey the Kraken will employ under new head coach Lane Lambert. The Rangers played Lambert's New York Islanders frequently as division rivals for the season-plus Lambert was on the bench.

"Really good teams," Lindgren said of Lambert's teams. "When we played those Islander games, they were hard-fought, and they're always hard to play against. So I'm really excited to play for him, and talking to him yesterday, it was a really good conversation, and I'm just excited to get it going."

Now Lindgren is excited to play for Lambert and a potential-filled defensive unit in Seattle.

"I've heard nothing but good things about all the guys that are there, and I'm just really looking forward to meeting those guys," Lindgren said.

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