The Rangers, following Sunday’s defensive nightmare, return to action tonight against the Hurricanes. With Freddy Claesson undergoing an MRI on his injured right shoulder and likely out for some length of time, New York promoted
Ryan Lindgren to hopefully bolster the defense. Lindgren is a blueliner whose main value is in his own zone, playing a steady, in-your-face, physical style of defense.
Lindgren, a second round pick of Boston, selected 49th overall in 2016, was perhaps the biggest piece — along with a first-round pick (not to mention Ryan Soooner, Matt Beleskey and a seventh round pick) in the 2018 NHL Draft — that the Rangers got back from the Boston Bruins in the Rick Nash deal last February. In 35 games for Hartford this season, Lindgren had five assists, a plus-7 rating and 41 penalty minutes. With Claesson out and likely to land on IR, making room on the 23-man roster for Lindgren, New York needed a steady, stay at home type blueliner.
Lindgren, 20, played two seasons for the University of Minnesota. He left college after last season and signed with the Rangers. Coach David Quinn could pair Lindgren with Neal Pionk or Kevin Shattenkirk or Tony DeAngelo to hopefully provide a defensive ballast to their offensive tendencies. Part of the rationale given in acquiring Lindgren, a native of Burnsville, Minn., was the d-man’s leadership tendencies. Lindgren, 6-feet, 200 pounds, represented the United States in two World Junior Championships, winning a gold in 2017 and a bronze in 2018 and is known as a leader on and off the ice.
Colin Stephenson has this interesting note in Newsday. “According to Rangers director of player personnel Gordie Clark, the Rangers loved Lindgren, Libor Hajek and Brett Howden in that draft but did not have a first- or second-round pick that summer. So when they announced their rebuild last February, those three were sought by the Rangers.” You wonder how that view impacted all the trade deadline talks last year and was the driver on which teams deals were made.
For
those looking to deal Brendan Smith, Kevin Shattenkirk, Chris Kreider, Marc Staal or even Henrik Lundqvist, keep the below in mind (thanks to jimbo tor posting in prior blog)
Smith has a 15 team no trade clause now that moves to a 10 team NTC July 1st
Shattenkirk has a 10 team NTC now (moves to 8 team July 1st 2020)
Kreider has an 11 team NTC now
Staal and Lundqvist have NMCs
Quinn had more than a bit of a
meltdown after Sunday’s game, questioning the team’s effort and compete level. We have been here before but he took that anger and annoyance up a level. If New York has practiced hesterday, a bag skate might have been in order and physical 1:1 in the corner. How the team responds will be interesting.
Larry Brooks seemed to indicate that Quinn need all to adjust to the NHL, not Vice versa. My view is that the team needs to, and in my opinion, will become a reflection of their coach. How just doing enough to get by won’t work. This is an off year. Quinn is learning his players and the league and they are learning him. The system likely will need to be modified somewhat to have success. But expecting or wanting the coach to not demand 100% effort is non-negotiable and the wrong way to approach the season. He should push and continue to push and see who can and wants to be here and who needs to go elsewhere.
Here is the upcoming schedule as noted by Brooks. The break likely comes at a good time. But that may all depend on what happens the next three games. “This is the grind of the NHL season, with a necessary day off Monday, home games Tuesday and Thursday against the Hurricanes and Blackhawks, respectively, before a trip up to Boston for a game against the Bruins on Saturday night. After that, his players flee to distant corners of the world — mostly, vacation in the Caribbean — for the five-day bye week that leads right into the All-Star break. Seven full days away from the rink before returning for what will likely be a screamer of a practice Jan. 28.”
Who are you trading for Jesse Puljujarvi? Edmonton hasn’t made it clear they want to make the playoffs and need forwards. Are you dealing Pavel Buchnevich? Is a 1 and Puljujarvi enough for Chris Kreider? What about Kevin Hayes? Of course, if for Mats Zuccarello sign me up now, but Peter Chiarelli can’t be the dumb, can he? What’s your view on who tondwal and on Puljujarvi on genetal? Has his struggles to date diminished his value in your eyes? Is he the West Coast version of Buch, who I still think has barely scratched the surface of how good he can be but needs a lot more refining and better effort on the ice.
Are enforcers outdated? Read the below by Sean Hartnett and let me know your view. Also, when you read it, take off the Cody McLeod blinders and just focus on the concept of the enforcer, not that McLeod is on the Rangers and you prefer he wasn’t here:
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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