The Colorado Avalanche accomplished their most important task so far this summer by re-signing Brock Nelson and locking up the second-line center for the next three seasons. Still, now they have to see if they can re-sign another midseason acquisition, Ryan Lindgren.
Acquired from the New York Rangers alongside Hank Kempf and Jimmy Vesey for Juso Parssinen, Calvin De Hann a 2025 Second Round Pick (New York Rangers) and 2025 Fourth Round Pick (Vancouver Canucks), he added much needed help and stability to the blue-line that saw many different players coming in and out of the lineup.
Coming off three goals and 14 assists for 17 points in the 2023-24 season, he signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the Rangers last offseason.
Since the Nelson re-signing, the Avalanche now have $1.2 million in cap space to work with, which might not be enough for Lindgren, but the major question is how much he wants and how much he is worth. Lindgren with the Avalanche finished with two goals and one assist for three points in 18 games. Lindgren isn’t known for his offensive prowess, but for his defensive work.
According to PuckPedia’s Player Cards from the Pro Hockey Group, Ryan Lindgren receives high ratings in several areas, with a hockey IQ score of 90. He also scores 90 for consistency, 89 for defensive zone starts, and 90 for his penalty kill performance. Based on these statistics, PuckPedia projects Lindgren as a second-pairing defenseman. This assessment appears solid on paper, considering he doesn't contribute much offensively and would likely never be known for it, given his focus on the defensive end.
If we take those numbers at face value for his upcoming contract, The Athletic estimates that Lindgren’s next deal will be a three-year contract with a cap hit of $4.02 million per season. This contract estimate seems fair when considering the current market rate for a top-four defenseman in the league and the production he brings on both sides of the ice.
I anticipate that he will sign a contract in the $3-4 million range for a term of 3-4 years. This would align his average annual value (AAV) just under that of Samuel Girard and Josh Manson, who may need to be moved to free up the necessary cap space for this signing.
The team may consider moving Josh Manson, who is in the final year of his contract and will turn 34 next season. His contract has a cap hit of $4.5 million, which could be enough for an extension, while leaving some cap space available. However, Manson does have a 12-team no-trade clause, so trading him may present some challenges. Still, there are many teams available that could be interested in acquiring him.
Though Elliotte Friedman on "32 Thoughts: The Podcast" believes that he could be a player the Avalanche let walk into free agency.
“The one thing I've heard: they traded for Lindgren, who's probably gonna go to market. I've heard they wouldn't mind another defenseman with a bit of jam or edge to them, but I've heard they're not - just because other people may look at them and say, 'they're too tight to the cap, they gotta make a move,' I'm not convinced they think that."
Depending on the cost of the signing, it raises questions about who else will fill out the defensive pairings. If either Manson or Girard is moved, who are the remaining players the Avalanche could deploy to fill out the defense?
There are cheaper two-way league minimum contracts held by players like Keaton Middleton or Wyatt Aamodt, who played last season. Depending on what they do with Sam Malinski as a pending restricted free agent, he will be another player to fill out the defense. Outside of those players already in the organization on cheap contracts, they don’t have a lot of cap to spend in free agency to fill the position.
A Closer Look at Sam Malinski's Role in the Avalanche’s Offseason Decisions
With 16 days remaining until the 2025 Free Agency period begins, the Colorado Avalanche have to make some big decisions when it comes to how they want to free up cap space to re-sign their pending unrestricted free agents and their one restricted free agent.
If we do see Lindgren extended, either Girard, Manson, or Ross Colton would likely be moved. Those players free up over $4 million in cap space, creating enough cap space to sign him. He could take less, which would be great for the Avalanche, but, based on Friedman's comments on the situation, he might be gone if the don’t Avalanche make the necessary moves to free up more cap space or decide that his time with the team is over and look for a cheaper replacement and focus on other positions on the team.
Insider Suggests Colorado Avalanche as Top Destination for Jonathan Toews
The <a href="http://thn.com/colorado" target="_blank">Colorado Avalanche</a> have already made their top priority signing by <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/latest-news/avalanche-fill-out-center-lineup-with-brock-nelson-contract-extension" target="_blank">re-signing Brock Nelson</a> and locking up their second-line center, but could they look to add another top centerman to their roster?
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