Term is the issue in the Ryan Lindgren talks

With the Ryan Lindgren talks ongoing ahead of his August 2 arbitration date, the delay seems to be more about term than dollars. The Rangers prefer a short term deal, with Lindgren’s camp looking for long term. Per Larry Brooks, the Rangers want no more than 2-3 years, with Lindgren looking for 4-5 years. This is normal, especially with Lindgren looking for his first big paycheck.

Given all the wear and tear on Lindgren’s body already, the Rangers are wise to only look for a short term deal with Lindgren. His type of play style simply does not age well (see: Girardi, Dan; Staal, Marc). The running joke about needing cyborg parts is cute, but in reality it’s a concern for his longevity.

Beyond his durability, we may have already started seeing some level of decline in his play as well (note: may). Lindgren had a pretty rough season, and without re-hashing Suit’s great work on his report card, part of it may be a blip, but another part of it may be a poor fit with Peter Laviolette’s system. In the 2-1-2 and 1-3-1 forecheck the Rangers run, he’s usually the guy tasked with stopping a zone entry. He’s capable, but it doesn’t play to his strengths as he’s not the greatest puck mover for the counter punch that should follow.

It wouldn’t be fair to call out Lindgren’s struggles last season without keeping in mind he’s a heart and soul player who has been one of the core pieces in the locker room for quite some time. He’s a guy that with one blocked shot can get a team moving, a rare quality in the NHL.

But of course, it all comes down to the salary cap. It’s not about Lindgren’s strengths and weaknesses on and off the ice. It’s about his ask and what the Rangers can afford with the overall roster in mind. The Rangers can’t miss the forest for the trees, even if it’s a pretty significant tree. If Lindgren’s ask is too long or the dollar amount is too high, especially with Alexis Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller, and Igor Shesterkin due big raises, then one year and walking to free agency may be the only course of action.

Lindgren is a heart and soul player, but it’s a numbers game. If the numbers work out, then he’s here. If not, then perhaps it’s best to trade a player a year too soon instead of a year too late. That could be the difference in landing a Mika Zibanejad in a trade, or being forced to send a draft pick to facilitate a trade.