The New York Rangers traded Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, ending the winger’s tumultuous time in the organization.
The Rangers received defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick from Seattle, which came less than 36 hours after Kakko expressed his displeasure with being a healthy scratch. It was not clear whether his comments had anything to do with the timing of the trade, given general manager Chris Drury’s desire to shake up his roster for several weeks.
“Kaapo is a young, dynamic forward who brings skill and attack to our club,” Kraken GM Ron Francis said in a statement. “We are happy that he is joining us.”
Kakko said Tuesday he was surprised by coach Peter Laviolette’s decision to bench him during Sunday’s struggling Rangers game in St. Louis. He called it “easy to take the young guy and kick him out.”
New York has lost 11 of its past 14 games, including five of the seven since trading captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim. The team was eliminated on Tuesday evening in Nashville.
Kakko, the second pick in the 2019 draft and a native of Finland, was once a healthy villain during the Rangers’ run to the Eastern Conference finals last spring and was rumored to be involved in trade talks this summer, even after signing an agreement. one-year contract as a restricted free agent. With 14 points in his first 30 games this season, he now gets a fresh start with the Kraken at the age of 23.
The 27-year-old Borgen was a 2021 expansion draft pick of Seattle out of Buffalo. His signing gives New York a right defenseman with 261 games in the NHL regular season and playoffs to replace Trouba.
“(I) want to thank Will for everything he has done for our franchise,” Francis said. “As an original member of the Kraken, we wish him all the best in New York.”
After making the move, the Rangers sent defenseman Victor Mancini to Hartford of the American Hockey League and recalled forward Matt Rempe, who has spent most of the season thus far in the minors.
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