What the Will Borgen Extension Says About Chris Drury's Trade Deadline Plans
After a dismal stretch and calls to blow it up rebuild, the Rangers have doubled down on staying competitive, inking Will Borgen to a 5-year extension. But is Borgen the solution or a risky overcommitment?
They say winning fixes everything, and for the New York Rangers that seems to be the case, to an extent. For a team that attempted to redefine rock bottom on a nightly basis just a month and a half ago, things have not only gotten much better but they have seemingly reversed their free-fall trajectory. When things were bad, there was serious consideration about “blowing up” the current core of this team and slamming the reset button to get them back on track for years down the road.
Now, after an 8-2-1 stretch through the month of January that saw them pick up points in 10 consecutive games, the decision to sign Will Borgen to a 5-year, $20.5 million extension has essentially shown us fans that Chris Drury isn’t interested in becoming a seller in the slightest. This team will attempt to remain competitive, even if they don’t have any business trying to contend this season.
Understandably, there’s been a ton of conflicting thoughts and opinions on the Will Borgen extension. Overall, the general positive consensus on the deal was that while it may be a slight overpayment and a bit too long of a contract but for what Borgen really is, it was fairly warranted considering how Borgen's plan had helped solidify a previously porous defense.
The other side of that argument is a bit more complicated. One of the more popular critiques is the fact that the Rangers decided to make this five year commitment after just 17 games with the club, which in itself could be a bit of a red flag. The other critique circles back to the fact that this team is in no place to contend as currently constructed and signing pending UFA’s in their late twenties to longer term deals is the exact opposite of what they should be doing.
