Colorado Avalanche Boost Roster: Lindgren, Vesey, and Kempf Join from Rangers!

The Colorado Avalanche have made a significant move by trading for defenseman Ryan Lindgren, forward Jimmy Vesey, and the rights to defenseman Hank Kempf from the New York Rangers. In return, Colorado gives up defenseman Calvin de Haan, forward Juuso Parssinen, and two draft picks for the 2025 NHL Draft—a second-round and a fourth-round pick. The Rangers will receive the higher of the two draft picks Colorado currently holds.

Ryan Lindgren, 27, is known for his solid defensive skills. So far this season with the Rangers, he has played 54 games, recording a career-high 19 points with 2 goals and 17 assists. He averages nearly 20 minutes on the ice per game. Lindgren’s assists are among the highest for New York’s defensemen, and he leads the team in shorthanded ice time. He’s also coming off a good streak, with four assists in his last three games.

Previously drafted by the Boston Bruins in 2016, Lindgren has spent most of his career with the Rangers and has tallied 99 points in 387 regular-season games. He has also played in 43 playoff games, contributing 11 points and helping his team reach the Conference Finals twice. Lindgren began his professional career in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Hartford Wolf Pack, where he played 84 games and scored 18 points.

On the international front, Lindgren has represented the U.S. at the IIHF World Junior Championship, bringing home gold in 2017 and bronze in 2018. He also captained the U.S. team to a bronze finish at the 2016 Under-18 Championships.

Jimmy Vesey, 31, has played 33 games this season and scored six points. He recently hit a milestone by playing in his 600th NHL game and scoring his 100th career goal. Vesey’s journey through the NHL includes stints with various teams, including the Rangers, where he returned as a free agent in 2022.

Hailing from Boston, Vesey has played in 616 regular-season games during his nine-year career, scoring 192 points. His best season came in 2018-19 when he scored 17 goals. He has also appeared in 31 postseason games, collecting nine points. Vesey was a standout player in college hockey at Harvard, where he won the Hobey Baker Award in 2016 for being the top college player.

Hank Kempf is a 22-year-old defenseman in his senior year at Cornell University. This season, he has seven points in 28 games. Over his college career, he has amassed 25 points in 126 games, playing alongside Avalanche teammates Sam Malinski and Matt Stienburg during his time at Cornell. Kempf was drafted by the Rangers in 2021.

In exchange for these new players, Colorado parts with Calvin de Haan, who played 44 games for the Avalanche and registered seven points. Juuso Parssinen also contributed to the team, playing 22 games and scoring six points after joining Colorado in a previous trade.