Ryan Lindgren - an under-the-radar defensive prospect at #23

Bruins 25 under 25 #23: Ryan Lindgren

Where’d he come from: Bruins’ 2nd round pick (#49 overall) in 2015

Age: 20

Has he played in the NHL?: No

Lindgren was an interesting pick from the Bruins in the 2016 draft, being taken by Don Sweeney ahead of more heralded defensemen like Kale Clague and Cam Dineen, as well as forwards like Taylor Raddysh and Dillon Dubé. He’d just come off an excellent season with the US u18 team as captain when drafted, however, and followed it up this year with gold at the WJC with the US.

It’s hard to find video highlight packages that show what Lindgren is all about, as he’s exactly the type of defenseman that highlight packages rarely show the best of - he’s a quiet, no-nonsense physical presence on the blueline that does his job quietly and allows other players to take the spotlight.

However, that’s exactly the type of play that endeared him to the University of Minnesota this past season - as a freshman on one of the best university programs in the country and the youngest on an experienced defensive group, he quickly played himself into a top-six role and was a loss for the team when his season ended thanks to injury late on...however, he’s expected to recover fully.

He’s been named as assistant captain for the Gophers as a sophomore this season - impressive on a program full of potential, and this year will likely see him continue his development apace.

What’s next for Ryan Lindgren?

Simply put - in the near future, it’s continuing to develop playing NCAA hockey at one of the best programs in the sport. As a player who’s already made a name for himself for his physical play, the Bruins will be hoping he continues to develop well in that direction, although a little more production offensively wouldn’t go amiss, either. It’s probably another season at least before we see him in the Bruins system, but all the signs so far show he could become a valuable part of it in the future.