MONTREAL — Ryan Lindgren made his season debut on Tuesday night against the Canadiens.
“He’s looked good,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “He’s been out on the ice now for a couple weeks, been with us for 7-10 days, practicing and working hard. He’s cleared.”
The Rangers activated Lindgren off injured reserve ahead of their third and final game of the road trip, after the 26-year-old defenseman missed two more contests than his minimum weeklong stint on the sidelines required.
Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren is set to make his season debut Tuesday night against the Canadiens.
Lindgren suffered what appeared to be a jaw injury in a fight with Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield in the Blueshirts second exhibition game of the preseason on Sept. 24.
Catching a couple uppercuts, Lindgren has been wearing a full face shield ever since he returned to the ice for practice.
Despite Lindgren’s return, the Rangers’ top-four defense pairings remained intact. Adam Fox stayed with K’Andre Miller, while Braden Schneider continued to skate on the left of captain Jacob Trouba.
Wearing a full face shield, Lindgren lined up next to Victor Mancini, who has played in all six Rangers games to start the season.
“He’s a heart-and-soul guy,” Laviolette said of Lindgren, who signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal this past offseason to remain with the Rangers. “He plays hard every single shift, every game. He gives everything he has. You remove a guy like that from the lineup and you feel it. It’ll be nice to get him back in there.
“First one back after being gone for a bit, but his impact will be felt and he’ll continue to get better the more he plays.”
With Lindgren’s return, Chad Ruhwedel was bumped from the lineup after making his season debut on Saturday in Toronto.
In 14:04 of ice time against the Maple Leafs, Ruhwedel recorded two hits and four blocks.
Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren (l.) fights Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield (r.) during a preseason game on Sept. 24, 2024.
Zac Jones, who played in the first four games, was a healthy scratch for the second straight contest.
Igor Shesterkin earned the starting nod in Montreal, marking his fifth start of the season.
The NHL’s Frozen Frenzy — where all 32 teams are in action — occurred on Tuesday.
“I do think it’s good for hockey, great for the game,” Laviolette said. “There’s hockey going on everywhere, which is awesome.”
