Sat, Mar 1, 2025 at 12:35pm

LINDGREN LEAVES NEW YORK FOR DENVER

The Colorado Avalanche acquired defenseman Ryan Lindgren, winger Jimmy Vesey and defenseman Hank Kempf from the New York Rangers for forward Juuso Parssinen, defenseman Calvin de Haan, a conditional second-round draft pick in 2025 and a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2025.

What does it give the Colorado Avalanche
In Lindgren, the Avalanche land a proven warrior, shot-blocking specialist and defensive defender. He will likely play on the third pairing in Denver, although the injury to Josh Manson could give him a shot on the second pairing in the interim. Vesey is a versatile winger who can play up and down the lineup. Both Lindgren and Vesey are pending UFAs this summer. As for Kempf, he is a marginal blueline prospect who is unlikely to be signed before this summer's deadline for NCAA prospects. He is a defensive defenseman, too.

What does it give the New York Rangers
For the Rangers, this trade is yet another indicator that they could be in for a retooling of sorts in the coming days/months. Parssinen is still fairly young (24) and can play all three forward positions, so look for him to get a chance to play regularly with the Rangers down the stretch. De Haan is a depth defenseman who is a pending UFA this summer. New York is also retaining 50 percent of Lindgren's salary for the rest of this season. Both picks in this deal are conditional, with the Rangers getting the better of two picks in each round.

Fantasy impact
There is not a lot of fantasy value here, as Lindgren and de Haan are mostly defensive defensemen. Vesey is a bottom-six winger with little value, while Parssinen is still largely an unproven commodity. He is worth keeping an eye on in New York, but he does not need to be rostered right away in most leagues. Kempf has zero fantasy value.