Kraken Sign Veteran Ryan Lindgren, Instantly Boost Defense
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1080"]
Bolstering their defense with a physical veteran, the Seattle Kraken agreed to terms with Ryan Lindgren on a four-year deal. Credit: NHL/Instagram [/caption]
The Seattle Kraken desperately needed to add to their blue liners this offseason. While goaltender Joey Daccord graded out as a top-10 goalie in some metrics (seventh in quality starts), their defense was among the worst in the NHL. As a team, they allowed 3.2 goals per game, which ranked 24th in the league.
Simply, the Kraken needed to use some of the freed up cap space from trades made before the deadline last year to add to their defense. According to reports on Tuesday, that is exactly what Seattle did under its new-look management.
Reportedly, per insider Elliotte Friedman, the franchise has signed defenseman Ryan Lindgren, a seven-year NHL veteran who most recently played for the Avalanche, to a four-year contract to kick off free agency.
Ryan Lindgren 4 x $4.5M
Seattle— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2025
If those figures are accurate, that is a nice deal for Seattle. That would mean Lindgren is making less than fellow defenders Jamie Oleksiak and Adam Larsson, among others. Lindgren’s deal is for four years and north of $4 million per year. Oleksiak is entering the final year of his deal and Vince Dunn has just two seasons left. Essentially, the Kraken just added a solid, veteran defender for the time when a few veterans have their contracts expire.
The Hockey Writers ranked Lindgren as their 26th-best free agent for this cycle and seventh-best blue liner.
Lindgren was a staple on the blue line for the New York Rangers for over six years. While he isn’t a prolific scorer from the defensive end, he provides a boost in what Seattle needs most: attitude, effort, and physicality on defense. He won’t add to the goal total much on the team, but he will certainly see to it that the opponent has a hard time finding Seattle’s own net. In three of the last four seasons, he has totaled at least 100 blocked shots. He also is not afraid to dish out the hits, accumulating almost 200 of them in the last two seasons.
During his time in New York, he was praised for his effort and leadership. In fact, Lindgren was the recipient of the 2023 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. The award is presented annually to the Rangers player who "goes above and beyond the call of duty."
Lindgren is praised not only for his defense in even strength situations, but it seems the Kraken also have found an impact player in their power play killing efforts. This deal also reunites Lindgren with former Rangers teammate Kaapo Kakko.
For a Kraken team in dire need of more depth and a higher floor, Lindgren does just that. While he is not a perennial All-Star or a top-tier two-way defender, he raises the floor of this Kraken defense for 2025 and beyond. His addition also opens the door for other moves with Seattle now having a log jam of veteran defenders on the roster.
