The New York Rangers have three restricted free agents (RFAs) to deal with this offseason: Ryan Lindgren, Kaapo Kakko, and Braden Schneider. Schneider is all but certain to be back, likely on a short-term deal. However, there are questions about the other two players and what their future with the Rangers might be.
After falling short in the Eastern Conference Final once again, General Manager Chris Drury will have to decide if he wants to run this team back or make changes to get the team over the hump. If he decides to make changes, Kakko and Lindgren could be on their way out of New York.
Should the Rangers Trade Kaapo Kakko This Offseason?
Kakko has had a very underwhelming career with the Rangers so far. Next season will be his sixth in the NHL after the Rangers drafted him second overall in the 2019 NHL Draft. He was hyped to be a winger with size who could use his body to his advantage while also having a scoring touch. However, his scoring is not where it needs to be, and, as of now, his best role might be a third-line defensive forward.
Kakko has played 300 regular-season games, scoring 57 goals and 117 points. His best season was in 2022-23, when he played all 82 games (for the first time), scoring 18 goals and 40 points. This was a step in the right direction, but he followed it up with 13 goals and 19 in 61 games this season, missing 21 games with injury. Kakko hasn’t been able to find his offensive game with the Rangers, and it could spell the end of his time with the team.
Two seasons ago, he was scratched from Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final and went into that offseason surrounded by trade rumors. The team kept him around, but again, he was scratched in Game 2 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Final to try and motivate him, but it did not work. As a pending RFA, this time, the story could end with Kakko being traded.
The Rangers won’t give him away for picks, especially if they can get pieces to help them win now. If they were to trade him, it would likely be for a veteran, or he could be part of a bigger deal in which the Rangers try to fill the void they have on the right wing in the top six. If management decides to keep Kakko, they get a cost-controlled player who is a good third-liner who can jump into the top six if needed. Whatever they decide, the Kakko saga will reach its conclusion this offseason.
Positives of Keeping Ryan Lindgren
Lindgren has been a very good player for the Rangers since he came over in the deal that sent Rick Nash to the Boston Bruins before the 2018 Trade Deadline. He played his first five games with the Rangers in the 2018-19 season and has been a mainstay ever since. In 333 regular-season games, he has 10 goals and 80 points, and a career plus/minus of plus-99.
He and Adam Fox have been a great defensive pair, with Fox as the offensive-minded player and Lindgren playing a defense-first game. That is the big reason why the team should keep Lindgren; the two complement each other so well, having already played together in the US National Development Program.
Related: Rangers’ Top-10 Draft Misses of 2017-19 Starting to Hurt
Lindgren is also a warrior. In most games, he will take a big hit and come back for his next shift like nothing happened. That kind of attitude makes him loved by his teammates, and his presence in the lineup is a boost to the team. He can also lay a big hit of his own from time to time, and he’s not afraid to fight. The Rangers need players like him if they want to go deep into the playoffs. He is the prototypical defensive defenseman, and if the team decides to move on, they would have to find another top-four defenseman to replace him.
Cons of Keeping Ryan Lindgren
Lindgren is the type of player who takes a beating. Over time, this has taken a toll, and although he can play through the pain most nights, he has had his share of injuries. He has never played a full season for the Rangers, the closest being 78 games in 2021-22. Playing such a physical style means his body will deteriorate faster, and his game will suffer because of it.
At 26, he will be looking for a longer-term deal than the three-year contract he signed in 2021, but the Rangers can’t afford to give him a long-term deal. They have seen firsthand what happens to physical players over time. Dan Girardi and Marc Staal signed long-term deals, and neither of them played out their contracts in New York – Girardi was bought out, and Staal was traded. Management shouldn’t make the same mistake with Lindgren.
Another reason why the Rangers should move on from Lindgren is that they need better puck-moving defensemen. The Rangers got exposed in the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers this season, and their defensemen often could not move the puck out of the zone quickly enough, which led to long shifts in the defensive end. This is one area of improvement management must address. If the Rangers aren’t trading Fox, K’Andre Miller, or Jacob Trouba, Lindgren is the only other top-four option who could be moved, and he isn’t a great puck-moving defenseman either. A shakeup on defense is needed, and moving on from Lindgren could be the first step in that process.
Both Kakko and Lindgren have played well for the Rangers. They have been part of the teams that went to the Eastern Conference Final twice in the past three seasons, and they were both part of this season’s team that set multiple franchise records in the regular season. However, this version of the Rangers has also seemed to hit their plateau, and changes need to be made if they want to win the Stanley Cup. While there is a case to be made for both players to stay, there is also a good argument that both should be traded. We will see what direction the Rangers decide to take this offseason.
