Scout’s Analysis: What Avalanche get in Ryan Lindgren as Rangers sell

The last trade with real playoff consequence we saw in the NHL probably came back on Feb. 1, when the Dallas Stars acquired Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci from San Jose. That move came one day after the Canucks traded away J.T. Miller and brought in Marcus Pettersson in separate moves.

Now that we’ve hit trade deadline week, however — the big day coming this Friday, Mar. 7 — expect the pace of action on the trade market to pick up pace.

On Saturday, we had two early moves that saw a couple of buying teams push in draft capital to try and improve their needs.

Beginning with the Colorado Avalanche, who picked up a defenceman for the second season in a row, acquiring pending UFA Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers.

Lindgren, 27, is a tough defensive defenceman who leaves it all on the ice and has been one of the Rangers’ leading shot blockers since he first joined the team in 2019-20. What comes with that style of play, however, is a question of durability as the games get tougher late in the season and into the playoffs.

But as the Avalanche — the Western Conference’s first wild card team, eight points up on the ninth-placed Calgary Flames — buy into their team, the New York Rangers are being much more reserved. Last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners are locked in a playoff race, four points out of a wild card spot and 5-5-0 in their past 10 after dropping Friday’s game to Toronto.

The Rangers have been off all season, ever since trade rumours originally kicked up around Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider, while continuing to leak chances against. New York is 29th in expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five and 31st in high danger chances against. They rely on their goailes, namely ace Igor Shesterkin, a ton, and with Lindgren not improving that outlook, New York decided to get some assets for him instead of pushing headlong into a crowded sprint to the finish line.

New York picked up two draft picks in this trade, a second and a fourth, both in 2025. They are conditional picks, and with Colorado holding two picks in each of those rounds, the Rangers will receive the better one of both.

Meanwhile, the second Saturday trade saw Minnesota pick up Gustav Nyquist for the second time in three seasons. Nyquist recorded five assists in six playoff games when the Wild traded for him at the 2023 trade deadline. He then signed as a UFA in Nashville. Now, in the midst of a down year, Nyquist rejoins the Wild who have the 21st-ranked offence in the league and 23rd-ranked power play. They hope Nyquist will help spark something, and with Nashville retaining salary, the Wild still have plenty of room for further moves before Friday.

The Wild have been losing ground for some time, 11-11-0 since the new year. The one-time challengers of divisional rival Winnipeg earlier on, Minnesota now sits third in the Central, with a minus-four goal differential. The Wild are now at risk of losing their hold on that place to the Avalanche.

For more on what each team got in these two deals, we turn to our scout Jason Bukala.

SCOUT’S ANALYSIS

To Colorado: Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey, Hank Kempf
To NY Rangers: Juuso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan, 2025 second-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick
* Rangers retain 50 per cent of Lindgren’s contract

The Avs have dealt with more than their share of injuries this season but have found a way to keep afloat and remain a dangerous team in the Western Conference heading towards the end of the season.

And there is no question who receives the best player in this trade.

Colorado adds left shot defenceman Ryan Lindgren, who immediately adds a layer of security to the Avs’ defence corps. Lindgren has averaged between 19-20 minutes per game for the past three seasons, with almost all of his ice time coming at even strength and the penalty-kill.

The 6-foot, 194-pound blueliner matches up against top-six opponents, provides mid-range physical push back and has no issues getting in the lane to block shots. He’s a consistent competitor who, from the 2022-23 season to the present, has suited up for 130 games and contributed secondary offence (6G-48A). Most impressive, especially given his role, is the fact that Lindgren is a healthy plus-52 in that time. 

When Josh Manson returns from injury, I expect Colorado’s top two pairings will include Devon Toews playing alongside Cale Makar and Lindgren skating on the left side with Manson on the right.

Adding Lindgren to the lineup certainly evens out Colorado’s pairings in preparation for the playoffs. 

As for the other pieces of this trade:

• Jimmy Vesey has had a tough year offensively and only dressed for 33 games with the Rangers. All of his ice time (10:40 average) came at even strength and he only produced 4G-2A in his limited role, albeit he has a history of scoring in bunches at times. Adding Vesey doesn’t move the needle much, but he provides Colorado with a depth option in case of injury. He’s a pending UFA at the end of this season. 

• Juuso Parssinen will be suiting up for his third team this season when he puts on a Rangers jersey. The two-way forward was a seventh-round pick (210th overall) of Nashville’s in 2019 and is a pending RFA this off-season. Parssinen is a big body (6-foot-3, 212 pounds) who has some bump to his game. His size and length assist with extending zone time along the boards and out in front of the net. He’s proven he can produce secondary offence in Europe and the AHL but hasn’t gained traction at the NHL level yet. He’s contributed 4G-7A so far this season, albeit in a limited role. 

• Calvin de Haan is a veteran left shot defender who will likely take the place of Lindgren in the Rangers’ lineup. He dressed for 44 games with the Avalanche this season and averaged around 15 minutes of ice time. At age 33, he’s a bottom pairing NHL defender at this stage of his career. His skating is average, plus his defensive detail can vary. He’s on the back nine of a lengthy career. The Rangers will be the sixth team de Haan has dressed for since 2017-2018 (NYI, CAR, CHI, TB, CAR again, COL, NYR)

• Colorado also acquired Hank Kempf, who is playing out his senior season in the NCAA at Cornell. He’s a 6-foot-2, 203-pound left shot defenceman who’s an assistant captain for the Big Red. He was originally drafted in the seventh round (208th overall) in 2019 by the Rangers.

Kempf is best described as a two-way defender who can, on occasion, provide secondary/depth offence. The bulk of his ice time comes at even strength and the penalty-kill at the college level. There are moments he is thrust into power play duty, but it’s not an area of strength that projects to the pro level. I appreciate his compete and attention to detail in his own zone. He isn’t exceptionally physical, but he’s active at cutting down plays and moving pucks out of harm’s way. 

Usually when teams acquire the rights to a senior at the college level, it leads to some sort of a contract offer at the end of the season. I’m not sure I see Kempf as an NHL defender, but he looks capable of being a depth piece in the organization and suiting up in the AHL. 

• The draft picks that exchanged hands make sense in this deal. The conditions on the draft slots will land the Rangers the best position possible, depending on how the teams attached to those conditions finish the season. 

The second-round pick should end up somewhere between slots 45-50. Knowing what I do about this draft class, there are a ton of similarities with prospects after the first round and into the middle of the second round. The Rangers should land a player they value from off their list with the slot. 

To Minnesota: Gustav Nyquist
To Nashville: 2026 second-round pick
* Nashville retains 50 per cent of Nyquist’s contract

Nyquist had a career year in Nashville last season (23G-52A), but like most of the Preds players, his numbers have fallen off dramatically this year (9G-12A). He averaged 17:39 of ice time with Nashville and was deployed in all situations. His minus-20 rating isn’t pretty, but he isn’t the only Predator who has struggled with defensive detail and puck luck. 

Spending a second-rounder to acquire Nyquist seems a bit rich for my liking, but Nashville did absorb 50 per cent of his salary, which leaves the Wild in a position to still spend up to $7.5 million at the deadline.

The Wild are obviously hoping Nyquist can return to the form he showed last year with the Predators. The 35-year-old is a pending UFA this summer. 

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