Thinner Kreider shakes things up for extra speed

club’s least expendable assets.

It is not set in stone, but Ryan Lindgren, the University of Minnesota sophomore defenseman whose rights the Rangers obtained from the Bruins in the Nash deal, is leaning toward leaving school and turning pro, sources have confirmed.

If Lindgren does sign, he would report immediately to AHL Hartford and presumably finish the season with the Wolf Pack, who have 10 games remaining.

The 20-year-old Minneapolis native, who has played for Team USA in the last two World Junior tournaments, is a candidate to play in this year’s World Championships.

Brendan Smith’s miserable season has ended in almost pre- dictably miserable fashion, The Post has learned.

The defenseman, who was assigned to the Wolf Pack after clearing waivers Feb. 9 in the midst of the first season of his four-year, $17.4 million deal, suffered a broken hand in a fight at practice this past Sunday with Vinni Lettieri.

According to capfriendly.com, a buyout of Smith would come at the cost of $1,091,667 in dead-cap space each of the next two seasons, $3,266,667 in 2020-21 and $1,266,667 for each of the three seasons following that. If he is unable to make the Rangers and winds up in Hartford again, his cap charge would amount to $3.325 million next season and $3.275 million the two years after that.

Kind of a pick-your-poison scenario.

Henrik Lundqvist, who did not practice Wednesday with what coach Alain Vigneault described as “overall body soreness,” in the wake of his third-period collision with Matt Calvert on Wednesday, will not dress against the Flyers. Alexandar Georgiev will get the start while Ondrej Pavelec, sidelined since suffering a knee injury in the first period of the Feb. 9 match against Calgary, will serve as backup.

Lundqvist is 4-13-2 with a 3.79 goal-against average and .897 save percentage since Jan. 20, with one win in relief and his past two victories coming in consecutive 50- save performances in Vancouver and Calgary on Feb. 28 and Mar. 2, respectively.

Vigneault said he plans to move Ryan Spooner, who has vanished the past three games, off the wing into the middle. He will switch with Vlad Namestnikov, who has recorded one point (a goal) in nine games following his two-point Blueshirts debut in Vancouver.

As suspected, the Rangers did not promote Lias Andersson from the Wolf Pack for Thursday’s game. The intent apparently is to summon both Andersson and Filip Chytil for Monday night’s Garden match against the Caps and have them each play the final seven games.