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Rangers Send Former Top Draft Pick To Kraken

The New York Rangers' makeover continues.

Jon Alfano

Apr 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Kaapo Kakko (24) skates across the blue line against the Washington Capitals during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
Apr 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Kaapo Kakko (24) skates across the blue line against the Washington Capitals during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images / Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
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The New York Rangers have traded forward Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 third-round pick and a 2025 sixth-round pick, the team announced Wednesday night.

Kakko, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, has been a hot name on the trade market for quite some time, but talks really picked up after the Rangers made him a healthy scratch for Sunday's game against the St. Louis Blues. The Finnish forward voiced his displeasure with the decision just days later, adding to an already tense situation in Manhattan.

“I was surprised,” Kakko said. “I know we’re losing games, but I think it’s just easy to take the young guy and put him out. That’s how I feel.”

Kakko, 23, has four goals and 14 points in 30 games this season. He ends his up-and-down tenure in New York with 61 goals and 131 points in 330 regular season games.

The Rangers have a 3-10-0 record over their past 13 games, an astounding free fall for a team that has Stanley Cup aspirations and just won the Presidents' Trophy last season.

As they look to clean up this mess, the Rangers are adding a decent depth piece on the blue line in Borgen. The Kraken selected Borgen, who turns 28 on Thursday, from the Buffalo Sabres in their 2021 expansion draft, and he's been a consistent part of their lineup for the past three seasons. In 247 NHL games, 233 of which came with Seattle, the Moorhead, Minnesota native has nine goals and 55 points to go along with 153 penalty minutes.

New York also gains a bit of extra draft capital, making up for picks it previously traded away.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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