Why NHL insider believes Will Borgen is ‘perfect fit’ for Rangers after trade with Kraken
Will Borgen may not be the sexiest name in the NHL. But at least one NHL insider believes the 28-year-old defenseman is a “perfect fit” for the New York Rangers, after being acquired from the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday in a trade involving Kaapo Kakko.
Speaking on Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli praised the Rangers for landing Borgen.
“I just think Will Borgen is the perfect fit for this time right now,” Seravalli explained. “We know that New York has been a mess in their own end, and they’ve had some outrageous turnovers and shoddy defensive play for awhile. They get a player who’s just a steady eddy.”
Borgen is not about flash and dash. He’s a big (6-foot-3, 204 pounds) blueliner, who’s pretty physical, blocks shots and replicate much of what was lost when Jacob Trouba was traded to the Anaheim Ducks two weeks ago.
“He’s not a sexy or flashy player, he’s not going to wow you with any one part of his game,” Seravalli said. “But he’s reliable, he’s got some size, he’s got better-than-average feet, and I think he’s a guy who can help quiet down the noise in the Rangers own end, which is exactly what they needed at this exact moment in time.”
Like Kakko, Borgen is likely in need of a fresh start. A pending unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, Borgen dropped from his usual second-pair duty to the third pair in Seattle after the Kraken signed defenseman Brandon Montour this season.
Borgen’s numbers at both end of the rink spiraled. After recording an NHL career-high 25 points (three goals, 22 assists) and averaging 17:35 TOI in 2023-24, Borgen has just one goal and one assists and is minus-13 this season, averaging 15:12 TOI. The Kraken were outscored 26-13 and allowed 50 more scoring chances with Borgen on the ice. His xGF dropped to 0.41, per Natural Stat Trick.
However, just two seasons ago, Borgen played an important role helping the Kraken reach the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and he was expected to be an intriguing commodity ahead of the 2025 NHL trade deadline.
Now, the Rangers add him to their mix, where he’ll likely play on the third pair, behind fellow right-hand shots Adam Fox and Braden Schneider. He practiced with the Rangers in Dallas on Thursday and should debut with them Friday against the Stars.
The Rangers (15-15-1) seek an end to their three-game losing streak and get going in the right direction again. They’ve lost 11 of their past 14 games.
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As for the other part of the trade, New York moving on from Kakko right after the 23-year-old complained publicly about being scratched Sunday against the St. Louis Blues, Seravalli said that only made a deal happen sooner rather than later.
“It’s not unrelated. It just hastened the decision that was ultimately going to come for Kakko,” he explained. “So, the Rangers had to make a decision at some point soon. Are we extending this guy or are we moving on? And given the inconsistent nature of his game and his production, plus really only one season to write home about, I think it makes sense to move on.”
Kakko can be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this upcoming offseason and a UFA in 2026. He had four goals and 14 points in 30 games this season and 131 points (61 goals, 70 assists) in 330 games with the Rangers. His NHL career highs were 18 goals and 40 points in 2022-23.
“Look, [the Kraken] take a flyer, and I get why it makes sense for them to do it,” Seravalli said. “They’re a team looking to add more juice, more offense, more skill, more potential star power that’s easy to sell to your fan base … I just think we know enough now about Kaapo Kakko to know that he’s not an impact player.”
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