Rangers Deal Kaapo Kakko to Seattle for D Will Borgen, Two Draft Picks

The New York Rangers have traded right wing Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 third-round draft pick, and a 2025 sixth-round draft pick. The deal brings to a close the tumultuous time in New York for the former second overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft, who never quite lived up to the expectations that came with that high selection.

The move sending him out of New York had been widely speculated about after Kakko had been a healthy scratch for the Dec. 15 game against the St. Louis Blues. It was at least the third time Kakko had received a high-profile healthy scratch by the organization, with the previous two coming in the Eastern Conference Final in 2022 and 2024, respectively.

Kakko had made his displeasure with the recent scratch well known in comments to the media prior to the team's tilt against Nashville. Kakko received only 10:13 of ice time in that game, the least of any Ranger in the 2-0 loss to the Predators.

Kakko arrived in New York to much hype after his second overall selection in the 2019 draft. He was a standout star in junior and professional leagues in Finland, where he showcased not only his scoring prowess but also his defensive capabilities and high hockey IQ. Kakko, however, was never able to score in the NHL at the rates he had in Finland, although he had developed into a solid defensive forward and was part of the Rangers' most effective line this year when paired with Will Cuylle and Filip Chytil, with the trio scoring 13 goals and only surrendering two in more than 184 minutes together, according to NaturalStatTrick.

The trade once again raises questions about the Rangers' ability to effectively develop young talent, as Kakko joins other recent Rangers' first round picks Lias Andersson and Vitali Kravtsov in having short, unsuccessful careers with the Blueshirts before being unceremoniously shipped out.

The centerpiece of the return for Kakko, 27-year old Will Borgen, profiles as a 3rd pair defenseman, making him the second such bottom pairing defender acquired by the team in recent weeks after receiving Finnish defenseman Urho Vaakanainen from the Ducks in the Jacob Trouba trade.

Borgen was one of the possible trade targets for a Kaapo Kakko deal recently profiled by Blueshirt Banter's Chris Feldman. He'll be an unrestricted free agent following this season.

Following the trade, the Rangers recalled forward Matt Rempe from the Hartford Wolf Pack and reassigned defenseman Victor Mancini, who had also been a healthy scratch in the previous two games, to Hartford.