The Colorado Avalanche acquired Ryan Lindgren at the 2025 trade deadline, and now it appears they're going to let him walk away in free agency due to cap restraints.
After moving Mikko Rantanen during the 2024/25 season, many thought the Colorado Avalanche would have some flexibility moving forward, but with recent moves, that's no longer the case.
That is even further cemented after the team handed out a three-year deal to veteran forward Brock Nelson, and as a result, their salary cap constraints will really hinder their ability to be aggressive on the market this off-season, which is even more frustrating after their disappointing finish to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Reportedly, that is going to cost them one of their key 2025 trade deadline acquisitions, as Ryan Lindgren is seemingly set to hit the open market this summer, despite many believing he could return to Colorado as a free agent.
That comes from Elliotte Friedman, who strongly hints that the 27-year old will be a free agent on the back of a stint that saw him tally 2 goals and 3 points in 18 games played with the Avalanche after the trade.
With over 400 games of NHL experience under his belt, Lindgren should draw significant attention on the market, and while he's got a limited offensive game, he would be very good paired with any of the top offensive names on the right side of the defense in the NHL.
Ultimately, there's a chance that Colorado would have let Lindgren walk anyway, but with their recent moves they've now got no choice, so expect to see Lindgren draw interest as one of the top defenseman available in this years free agency class.
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