The New York Rangers allowed one goal in their season-opening victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 12 and one goal in their victorious home opener against the Arizona Coyotes on Oct. 16. However, they allowed five goals in their loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 14. The one major lineup change in the loss was that gritty defenseman Ryan Lindgren missed the game with an upper-body injury and then returned last game. His brief absence once again demonstrated his value.
Lindgren’s Importance for the Rangers
During Lindgren’s rookie season in 2019-20, he quickly established himself as a top-four defenseman, playing alongside star blueliner Adam Fox. Since getting called up to the NHL, the Rangers are 146-82-26 with Lindgren in the lineup and 19-16-4 when he is out of the lineup since the 2019-20 season.
Additionally, during the playoffs in 2022, the Rangers fell behind 3-1 in their first-round matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins after Lindgren missed three consecutive games. They allowed 16 goals in the three games he missed. However, after he returned to the lineup in Game 5, they made a big comeback, winning three games in a row, allowing nine goals in the three victories.
Lindgren does a lot of the dirty work for the Rangers. He is physical, he blocks shots, he has become a great penalty killer, and he makes smart plays with the puck. Though he is not known for his offense, he is poised with the puck in the defensive zone and makes crisp passes to start the rush.
In the Rangers’ 2-1 victory over the Coyotes, they certainly were not perfect but they were much better defensively than they were in their loss to the Blue Jackets. Their top-four defensemen were reliable and Lindgren led the team in ice time, playing 23:53. The biggest chance they allowed in the third period came when Erik Gustafsson and Braden Schneider both got caught in the offensive zone which led to a penalty shot. Igor Shesterkin came up with a clutch save.
Even more important than the victory, Lindgren made it through the game uninjured and played very well.
The Rangers’ Depth on Defense
Last season, Lindgren missed 19 games, but the Rangers actually dealt with his absence well, finishing with a 12-4-3 record in those games. Their solid play without him was largely due to the reliable play of trade-deadline acquisition Niko Mikkola who stepped up in a top-four role playing alongside Fox.
Related: Rangers’ Ryan Lindgren: From Undervalued Prospect to Top Defenseman
This offseason, the Rangers lost Mikkola, as the unrestricted free agent signed with the Florida Panthers. They signed Gustafsson, an offensive defenseman, and Zac Jones, another offensive defenseman made the roster too.
Jones and Gustafsson are both left-handed defensemen and both play a risky style which can create scoring chances for the Rangers but can also allow them for opponents. The team’s first (and only) game with both players in the lineup so far this season did not go well as they lost 5-3 to the Blue Jackets.
While Jones certainly has upside, unlike Lindgren, he is not someone the Rangers can trust in a shutdown role. Perhaps later in the season, they will look to add a veteran lefty defenseman just like they did last season when they acquired Mikkola from the St. Louis Blues.
For the Rangers and Lindgren Moving Forward
For Lindgren, this season is an especially important one, as he is in the final season of a three-year deal and is set to become a restricted free agent. Though the Rangers have an impressive group of blueliners, they do not have as much depth on the left side which makes it essential that they hold on to their two most reliable lefties, K’Andre Miller and Lindgren.
After three games, Lindgren is already showing his value, and the Rangers need him to stay healthy to play to their potential this season.