The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today the team has acquired defenseman Ryan Lindgren, forward Jimmy Vesey and the rights to defenseman Hank Kempf from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Calvin de Haan, forward Juuso Parssinen, a second-round draft pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a fourth-round draft pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. New York will receive whichever draft picks in each round Colorado currently owns that results in a higher placement in the draft order.
Lindgren, 27, has suited up in 54 games for the Rangers this season, posting a career-high 19 points (2g/17a) and averaging 19:56 of ice time per game. His assist and point figures both rank second among team defensemen, while his 146:23 of shorthanded time on ice paces all Blueshirt skaters. The Burnsville, Minn., native’s next assist will also mark a new single-season career-best. Lindgren also begins his Avalanche tenure having picked up four helpers in his last three games overall.
Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins in the second round (49th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft, Lindgren was acquired in a trade with Boston at the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline and had played his entire career with the Rangers from 2018-25. He produced 99 points (12g/87a) in 387 regular-season contests and added 11 points (3g/8a) in 43 Stanley Cup Playoff games, helping the Rangers reach the Conference Finals twice (2022 and 2024). Over his six full NHL campaigns, Lindgren has averaged over 19 minutes of ice time in four of those regular seasons, topping out at 20:06 in 2021-22.
The 6-foot, 194-pound defenseman competed in 84 AHL games with the Hartford Wolf Pack over parts of the 2017-20 seasons and registered 18 points (3g/15a). Prior to turning pro, Lindgren played two collegiate seasons at the University of Minnesota (2016-18) and was teammates with Avalanche forward Casey Mittelstadt in 2017-18. He also was a member of the United States National Team Development Program from 2014-16.
On an international stage, Lindgren represented the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championship in both 2017 and 2018, earning gold and bronze medals, respectively. He also captained the U.S. to a bronze medal win at the 2016 under-18 event.
Vesey, 31, played in 33 games for the Rangers in 2024-25 and chipped in six points (4g/2a). He played in his 600th career NHL game on Dec. 17 and later this same season scored his 100th career goal on Feb. 23. The forward was in his second stint with the Blueshirts after signing with the club as a free agent on Oct. 9, 2022.
A native of Boston, Mass., Vesey has played in 616 regular-season games over nine seasons split between the Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils from 2016-25. He’s collected 192 points (100g/92a) in that span, featuring a career-best 17 goals (tied), 18 assists and 81 games played (tied) in 2018-19 with New York. Vesey has also appeared in 31 career postseason games and has tallied in nine points (2g/7a).
Prior to turning pro, Vesey was a member of the NCAA’s Harvard Crimson hockey team from 2012-16 and accumulated 144 points (80g/64a) in 128 games. In 2015-16, he recorded 46 points (24g/22a) in 33 games to capture the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s top college hockey player. Vesey has also represented the United States at the IIHF World Championship (2015 – Bronze) and the World Junior Championship (2013 – Gold).
Vesey was originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in the third round (66th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft.
Kempf, 22, is currently playing his senior season at Cornell University and enters tonight with seven points (2g/5a) in 28 games for the Big Red. Over 126 collegiate games, the 6-foot-2, 201-pound defenseman has registered 25 points (4g/21a) from 2021-25 and was teammates with Avalanche defenseman Sam Malinski and Avalanche prospect Matt Stienburg from 2021-23. Kempf was originally drafted by the Rangers in the seventh round (208th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft.
de Haan signed with the Avalanche as a free agent on July 1, 2024 and skated in 44 games with the club, picking up seven points (0g/7a). Colorado acquired Parssinen in a trade from Nashville on Dec. 28, 2024 and competed in 22 games for the Avs, logging six points (2g/4a).