The Seattle Kraken kicked off NHL free agency by signing defenseman Ryan Lindgren on Tuesday.
The deal is for four years (through 2028-29) with an average annual value of $4.5 million.
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The Kraken also announced Tuesday the addition of goaltender Matt Murray on a one-year, $1 million deal.
The 27-year-old Lindgren comes to Seattle after a career-best season in 2024-25 with the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche. He set new career-high marks in points (22) and assists (18), and tied his career-high goals total with four in 72 games.
“Ryan’s a heart-and-soul player who competes every shift,” Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said in a press release. “He does whatever it takes to win and has been a key fixture on the penalty kill throughout his career. We’re excited to welcome him to the team.”
Lindgren was traded from the Rangers to the Avs on March 1. He played 387 games with the Rangers over seven seasons before going to Colorado.
Artemi Panarin behind the goal find Ryan Lindgren with the perfect feed to put the @NYRangers in the lead! #NYR pic.twitter.com/Zx9kLIv6Zq
— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) October 27, 2024
The 6-foot, 194-pound Minnesota native was a second-round pick by the Boston Bruins in the 2016 NHL Draft. He played in college for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Lindgren was traded as a prospect from Boston to the Rangers in 2018.
Lingren comes to Seattle with playoff experience, having appeared in 50 career postseason games.
With New York, he twice won the Players’ Player Award (2020-21, 2022-23), which recognizes the Rangers player who “best exemplifies what it means to be a team player.” He also won the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award in 2022-23, which is a fan-chosen award given to the Ranger who “goes above and beyond the call of duty.”
Murray, 31, has appeared in 274 career NHL games over nine seasons combined with Toronto, Ottawa and Pittsburgh. He has a 147-87-24 record with an average of 2.80 goals against, a .910 save percentage and 15 shoutouts.
“Matt’s a veteran goalie with a proven track record of winning,” Botterill said. “He’s a two-time Cup champion who gives us depth in goal. We’re excited to have him join our team.”
OH MY MATT MURRAY‼️ pic.twitter.com/TUBiwKWf2V
— NHL (@NHL) January 15, 2023
Murray, who played two games last season with the Maple Leafs, joins starter Joey Daccord and backup Philipp Grubauer as goalies on the Seattle roster.
The Kraken have been busy this offseason.
They replaced head coach Dan Bylsma after just one season with Lane Lambert, promoted Botteril to GM from assistant GM, and moved previous GM Ron Francis to the team president role.
On the roster, they’ve looked to get more physical, agreeing to multiple extensions and being active in trades, most notably with the Dallas Stars to acquire big forward Mason Marchment.
The Kraken are aiming to bounce back after two straight disappointing seasons following a run to the Stanley Cup Playoffs that included a series win in 2022-23, which was the team’s second season in the NHL.
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