I highly doubt they will follow that logic. They will blame Drury.
I don't know what would drive you to that conclusion.
Players have been traded away from the team before.
It’s nice to dream but replace Lindgren with who ?
Unless a Lindgren and Kakko for something crazy like Colton and Girard happens
It’s gonna out of left field so unlikely
Lets roll with the logic that they can't find a reasonable "actually fits the role" argument.
As of right now, you're probably right as they let the window to replacement him (UFA) pass by. It isn't a bad idea to fill the spot with a stop gap and upgrade it later (see: trade deadline) if need be. It's a better option than locking up an option for significant dollars who doesn't fit.
You're not going to find a perfect option at sub 2 million (thats all thats available via UFA right now) but you can find a better option at that price.