The New York Rangers have a really intriguing prospect in Ryan Lindgren. That doesn’t mean that he’s a failure if he doesn’t make the team out of camp.
While there’s no level of excitement that can match what a fan base feels when their team is winning, watching young players develop in a rebuild can be very exciting too.
And in a market like New York, where the fans live and die with their teams through the good and bad, they may overrate or set unrealistic expectations for their players. This isn’t because they are stupid or ignorant, it’s just that sometimes, it’s hard to look at something objectively when you love it so much.
And that’s where I think we’re at with the New York Rangers’ prospect pool. And I don’t think their is one player who could be used as an example of this better than defenseman Ryan Lindgren.
Admittedly, I am very excited to see Lindgren play. He’s often refereed to as a “throwback” defenseman, but his skill-set is so much more than just that.
Lindgren doesn’t have the size that a traditional stay-at-home defenseman has (he’s about six-feet tall and weighs about 180 lbs). The other difference is that he can skate like today’s most mobile blue liners.
But if you think Lindgren is a shoe-in to make the opening night roster or that it’ll be a disappointment if he starts the year in Hartford, you need to get a grip.
The Rangers have a glut of defenders who are NHL ready and have one-way contracts any way. It’s a crowded blue line and the 20-year old from Minnesota isn’t at that point in his development yet. While his skill-set is exciting and a good fit for today’s game, he’s not a blue chip prospect by any stretch. That doesn’t mean he won’t be a good player, it just doesn’t mean he’s elite.
He’s still a very raw player and should see lots of ice time in Hartford to continue his development. In the brief stint he had with the Wolf Pack at the end of last season, he didn’t look out of place. If the Rangers were smart, they’d let him get comfortable there before rushing him into an NHL spot.
Fans also need to remember that defensemen generally take more time to develop then forwards, and be being thrown into the fire too early can really stunt one’s growth as a player. Just look at what happened with Michael Del Zotto all those years ago.
The Rangers may call him up by the end of the season if they (A) move some of their current defenders in trades by the February deadline and (B) if they feel he’s ready for the challenge.
So when he gets sent down mid way through September’s training camp, don’t complain about how “the team doesn’t care about the rebuild” or that “he’s a complete bust.”
The reason he’ll be in Hartford is because the Rangers know they have an interesting but raw defender who has potential to be a player in the future.