SEATTLE -- As Kaapo Kakko let go of a wrist shot and peeled off from a drill, he was greeted by a playful shove into the boards from Ryan Lindgren.
This was a common scene at the New York Rangers' practice rink for more than five years. But on Friday, Kakko and Lindgren were skating at the Kraken Community Iceplex as members of the Seattle Kraken. And they were preparing for their first game against their former team.
"It's going to be weird competing against them like that," Lindgren told The Athletic in advance of Saturday's 10 p.m. ET puck drop at Climate Pledge Arena.
The night will bring understandable jitters, as well as motivation to show the Rangers what they're missing. But if there was any discontentment about the slew of trades that sent them and other longtime Blueshirts packing, Kakko and Lindgren certainly didn't show it. Both were all smiles Friday and appeared at ease in their new surroundings.
"I'm happy with how everything turned out," Lindgren said. "I love it here."
Kakko and Lindgren were rookies together in 2019-20 and remained staples in the Rangers' lineup until both were traded during last season's facelift. Kakko went directly to Seattle for defenseman Will Borgen and a couple of draft picks on Dec. 18, while Lindgren was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche a few months later. He later signed with the Kraken as a free agent, valuing the security of their four-year, $18 million offer and completing his journey west.
"That day, I remember going to the rink, that wasn't really on my mind," Lindgren said of the March 1 trade. "It was still a week before the deadline or whatever it was, so I don't know if I expected it that day. But I knew where we were at as a team. We were still fighting for a playoff spot, but obviously things weren't going great. I knew my name was out there, but it's a very big shock when it does happen."
The trade itself wasn't the shocking part -- he saw the writing on the wall when the Rangers offered him only a one-year contract the previous summer -- but being ousted from the place he'd spent his entire NHL career still took time to process. Lindgren described it as a "sad, emotional" time.
"It's part of the business, but all I knew was New York," he said. "I was there from when I was 19, 20 (years old) to 27. I was there a long time, and obviously formed a lot of great relationships and fell in love with the city and loved living in Manhattan. All that stuff. I just loved being a Ranger, so it was tough."
Rangers fans loved him right back, voting Lindgren as the prestigious Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award winner in 2022-23 while lauding his fearless style of play. The 6-foot, 194-pounder isn't the biggest, fastest or strongest defenseman in the league, but he's as tough as they come. Few cities appreciate that hard-nosed mentality quite like New York.
"He gives everything he has every game," said Rangers forward Alexis Lafrenière, who grew close with Lindgren while living in the same Manhattan apartment building and commuting to practice together. "He blocks shots, he's taking hits, and he plays really hard. He really would do anything for the team to win."
Teammates respected those traits, as well, which, along with a self-deprecating sense of humor, made Lindgren a locker-room favorite.
His longtime D partner and close friend, Adam Fox, said the remaining Rangers still find themselves laughing at old stories involving Lindgren. For example, he was notorious for multiple last-place finishes in the team's fantasy football league, which required him to sing in front of the group as punishment. He proudly accepted his fate and chose "Follow Me" by Uncle Kracker. (Fellow defenseman Braden Schneider described it as a "low octave" performance.)
But once they took the ice, few could match Lindgren's competitive fire. He embraced the dirty work and never complained. He also played through multiple injuries and more cuts than anyone could count, which endeared him to fans and teammates alike. Fox pointed all the way back to Nov. 21, 2021, when Lindgren scored the game-winning goal with 0.4 second remaining against the Buffalo Sabres and a raucous celebration ensued.
"You saw the joy of everyone else, because he's a guy who's willing to do whatever it takes to win a game," Fox said. "When he was rewarded for that, it was a cool moment for us. Not just winning the game that late, but also how happy everyone was that he was the one who scored it."
The appreciation went both ways. Lindgren mentioned veterans Brady Skjei, Marc Staal and Ryan Strome, who he said he took him under their wing and "made sure that us young guys were part of the group" when he was first called up in 2019. The tight relationships extend to current Rangers such as Fox, Lafrenière, Schneider, Jonny Brodzinski, Will Cuylle and Jonathan Quick, who Lindgren said were all heading to his new Seattle-area house for dinner Friday night.
Those bonds were strengthened during New York's runs to the Eastern Conference finals in 2022 and 2024, which Lindgren pointed to as his favorite Rangers memories.
"We never did the ultimate thing, but we had a lot of success there," he said. "A lot of good hockey teams. That first run we had to the Eastern Conference final, I don't think anyone had us doing that. We made a good run at it. And then (in 2023-24), we won the Presidents' Trophy and ended up losing to Florida. But those overtime games at home and how crazy the city gets, all that was really special."
On Saturday, he'll line up across from several of them for the first time. Fox noted it will be their first head-to-head meeting since college, when Lindgren's University of Minnesota team defeated Fox and Harvard.
"I definitely want the bragging rights back on him," Fox quipped.
Asked if he's looking forward to body checking any former teammate, Lindgren smirked and said, "If I get a chance to give Laf a good one, he'd be the guy."
Adding to the occasion will be Lindgren's parents, who are making the trip to watch him play with the Kraken for the first time in person. It's all part of the settling-in process for a player who's grateful to have landed in Seattle but will always cherish his time in New York.
"It's an unbelievable locker room over there," he said. "It'll be really good to see them."
Kakko was prohibited from speaking on the record as he technically remains on injured reserve due to a broken left hand sustained during the preseason, but all signs point to him making his season debut Saturday.
He returned to practice this week and skated as a full participant Friday. The 24-year-old winger worked on a line with Mason Marchment and Shane Wright while taking reps with the second power-play unit.
"You saw that last year when he got traded here, he really took off and did well," Lindgren said. "It's huge having him back up in the lineup. He's a heck of a player."
Kakko had his share of ups and downs with the Rangers, who selected him No. 2 overall in the 2019 draft. He never finished higher than the 40 points he posted in 2022-23 and struggled with injuries in multiple seasons. And when he was healthy, he was usually stuck behind accomplished veterans on New York's depth chart.
The trade to Seattle provided an opportunity to expand his role, with the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder responding with 30 points (10 goals and 20 assists) across his first 49 games. His presence added to the selling points for Lindgren choosing the Kraken.
"He was one of my closest friends in New York," Lindgren said. "It's been great having him."
Seattle will enter Saturday having earned points in eight of its first 10 games, with a 5-2-3 record.
"I knew this team had a lot of upside to it," said Lindgren, who's been skating on the Kraken's second pair with Brandon Montour. "It's nice to know I'm here."