Nov 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Kaapo Kakko (24) skates with the puck against the St. Louis Blues during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images
The New York Rangers have cut ties with another young, former top-10 draft pick, trading winger Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken for defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 third-round draft pick, and a 2025 sixth-round draft pick.
It ends a tumultuous relationship with the 23-year-old, who publicly expressed his displeasure with getting healthy scratched during Sunday's loss to the St. Louis Blues.
The No. 2 pick at the 2019 draft, Kakko was billed as an elite, highly-skilled goal-scoring prospect. Now, in his sixth NHL season, it likely will not come to fruition as he recorded just four goals and 10 assists in 30 games this year. He had never scored more than 18 in a single season.
But the young winger still provided a defensively sound game, which at least offered the promise of developing into a serviceable middle-six forward. While that is not necessarily what the Rangers drafted him for, it is still something that is still a commodity in today's NHL -- and they let that go for practically nothing.
The Kraken was able to buy low on Kakko, sending an ineffective blueliner in Borgen to New York and lower-round draft picks that, more likely than not, won't result in much. The 28-year-old Borgen is a minus-13 this season, but does bring speed to the table, which could potentially provide a fit with the Blueshirts before he hits free agency this summer.
Kakko now gets a fresh start without the heavy expectations that came with being a high draft pick in one of the largest sporting markets on the planet for a team that has not won a Stanley Cup in what will be 31 years.
Meanwhile, Rangers general manager Chris Drury will be left to wonder, "What if?" At last year's trade deadline, the Anaheim Ducks reportedly showed interest in Kakko as part of a deal that would have sent forward Frank Vatrano back to New York along with the steady veteran presence of former New Jersey Devil Adam Henrique. That is a considerably better package that could have helped put the Rangers over the top rather than crashing out in the Eastern Conference Finals.