Ryan Lindgren’s night ended almost before it began Tuesday in Vegas.
The former Avalanche defenseman took a hit from behind from Golden Knights forward Marc Gatcomb just 15 seconds into the opening period of the Seattle Kraken’s game, and the result was an early exit. Lindgren was shaken up on the play, stayed on the bench and kept going for a bit, but he never returned for the second period. The Kraken later said he would not come back because of an upper-body injury.
He was on the ice for just six shifts and logged 3:57 of ice time.
Lindgren’s current stop in Seattle comes after a brief run in Colorado. The Avalanche acquired him from the New York Rangers at the 2025 trade deadline, along with Jimmy Vesey and prospect Hank Kempf. In return, the Rangers got Calvin de Haan, Juuso Pärssinen and two conditional draft picks.
At the time, the move fit Colorado’s needs. Lindgren brought size, physicality and experience to the blue line, and there was even some thought he could grow into a longer-term answer for Sam Girard.
His Avalanche stint was short but busy. He played 18 regular-season games and posted two goals and one assist, then missed the final three games of the regular season before coming back for the playoffs.
Colorado used him against the Dallas Stars in the first round, and the Avalanche were eliminated in seven games. That was his only playoff appearance with the team.
Lindgren signed with Seattle in the offseason on a four-year, $18 million deal. Last season, he played 76 games for the Kraken and finished with two goals and seven assists. He also appeared in Seattle’s first four games this season before Tuesday night’s injury.
From Colorado’s side, the deal has become a small footnote in the bigger picture. It also counts as another Chris MacFarland move that never fully clicked, with the Avalanche giving up two conditional draft picks and getting 18 regular-season games from Lindgren before he left as a free agent.
Now the focus shifts to how long Lindgren might be out.
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For Colorado, that kind of support matters as much as the scoring itself. The top line combined for three goals and eight points against St. Louis, and the Avalanche backed it up with strong defensive play, a combination that has long been the formula for October success. If Necas can keep fitting into that mix the way he has so far, the Avalanche may have found exactly the kind of help MacKinnon needed most. [Read more 🡒]