Kraken Defense Takes a Hit: Ryan Lindgren Headed to Injured Reserve

The Seattle Kraken are officially down a key piece on the blue line, placing defenseman Ryan Lindgren on injured reserve according to Daily Faceoff.

Losing a guy who eats minutes and blocks shots like it is a personal hobby is never ideal, especially for a team trying to find its footing in the early season. Lindgren is the kind of gritty, stay-at-home defender who keeps games from spiraling out of control, and his absence leaves a noticeable dent in the roster.

"Daily Faceoff reported the injured reserve placement on X."

Seattle’s start to the year has been a total mixed bag. They looked like absolute world-beaters while hanging six goals on the Calgary Flames twice in a single week, but they just got completely dismantled in a 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on October 7.

Now they have to patch up a defense that just gave up a touchdown to Vegas. Without Lindgren, the Kraken are going to have to ask guys lower on the depth chart to step up and do the dirty work, which usually looks a lot cleaner on a whiteboard than it does on the ice.

For anyone looking at the totals market, Seattle's blue line is suddenly a lot more vulnerable. If the Vegas game was any indication, the Kraken might have to rely on outscoring their problems rather than shutting teams down.

We will see exactly how they shuffle the pairings when they hit the road to face the Detroit Red Wings on October 9. Until Lindgren is cleared to return, expect Seattle to be a very popular target for opposing offenses looking to exploit a thinned-out defensive corps.