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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
The New York Rangers traded forward Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 third-round pick and a 2025 sixth-round pick.
Kakko, 23, was drafted second overall by New York in 2019 and collected 61 goals and 131 points for the Blueshirts in 330 games.
This has been another tough season for Kakko, though, in which he’s produced just four goals and 14 points in 30 games. Kakko has been subject to multiple trade rumors over the past two years, but managed to sign a one-year, $2.4 million contract as a restricted free agent last spring to stick with the Rangers.
The forward was recently made a healthy scratch in New York’s game against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday, a move by coach Pete Laviolette that didn’t sit well with Kakko and was reflective of how he’s struggled to establish a firm positioning within the organization.
Kakko was vocal about the decision too, claiming all he was told by the coaching staff is he “needed to do something,” but that he wouldn’t be looking into that further on his own.
“They’re going to say if they have something to say, but I’m not going there,” he told reporters.
On the business end, Kakko is also a pending RFA again and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, limiting GM Chris Drury’s options.
Drury has been targeting Borgen for some time. He’s a right-shot defenseman that Seattle selected from Buffalo in the 2021 expansion draft and developed into a top-four option for the backend.
Borgen is just one season removed from posting a career-high 25 points for the Kraken, but playing under new head coach Dan Byslma hasn’t brought out the best in Borgen’s game. A move to New York could help him to flourish.
Borgen is currently making $2.7 million in the final year of his contract before becoming a UFA this summer.