Confirmed Trade: [SEA/NYR] Kaapo Kakko for Will Borgen, 2025 3rd, 2025 6th

[Fjordy]

Looks good for Kraken.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Kinda mad my team didn't take a flyer

...but enough about Michkov

 

[GbgRanger]

Everyone throwing shade at the return does realize that Kaapo Kakko is bad at hockey, right..


This dude got MULTIPLE cracks in the top 6 and couldn't hang with a declining Zibanejad and Kreider.

He's the prime example of a player who's game just didn't translate to the smaller ice surface. He'll dominate at this spectacle tournament and then be a .4ppg player for Seattle.

He's not a game breaker in North America, period dot

Almost all players that was on a line with MZ and CK last two years have been dogshit.

Laf also sucked while playing with them. Rhey have been dogshit 5v5 more or less since the Buchtrade

 

[Scoresberg]

Absolute steal for the Kraken..

 

[TheNumber4]

How, exactly does that change fast after arbitration? Arbitration seeks to give fair valued contracts. Not negative valued contracts.

Hah! Fair value. Tell that to the 3.25M and 3M they awarded Yamamoto and Puljuujarvi.

 

[scholl]

Whoa seems light for Kakko. I haven't followed him for a while though

Never heard of Borgen. NYR seems have become an organization where talent goes to die. They didn't even get a 1st for Kaapo.

Hiking is popular in Pacific Northwest. So the Rangers GM probably told Kakko "Take a hike" when he let the player to know about the trade.

 

[SensontheRush]

Can't say I've ever been blown away by Kakko. If everything works out, at best, Seattle is getting an OK 2nd liner. Sure. Rangers maybe lose out on perceived value here, but at the end of the day, they aren't losing a player worth losing sleep over.

I'm sure Drury has been shopping Kakko for over a year now with no significant offers. Now is the time to see whether he can swim on his own or if the Rangers have been artificially elevating him all these years. Might help the Rangers in the long run not having to dedicate ice time to him anymore.

 

[GigaChad]

I still don't understand why people thought Kakko had all this value. I'm not even throwing shade, what am I missing? It's been too long to hang onto the draft spot...

He's one of the better defensive forwards in the whole league.
He's slow though, so he's had hard time generating much offense, especially with almost no PP time, but maybe with a different system he'll start producing.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Pretty expected trade and value considering Kakko's reputation probably tanked leaguewide after the comments he made. On pure hockey value it's probably an underpay, in terms of bringing in a guy to a lockerroom it's an overpay. So fair value but looks terrible for the Rangers considering everyone knew it was probably smart to trade him a year or two ago for far better value.

 

[wunderpanda]

is there some weird civil war between drury & rangers players? i understand trading kakko for anything after he complained about being scratched, just seems he is the 4th or 5th guy to speak out. also think borgen is a good piece and those picks will still be helpful to add rentals at the deadline.

 

[Czechboy]

feels like an underpayment.

Wish my Oil had got in on this.

I think Kakko takes off in his new home.

Also, what the hell is going on with the Rangers?

 

[ijuka]

is there some weird civil war between drury & rangers players? i understand trading kakko for anything after he complained about being scratched, just seems he is the 4th or 5th guy to speak out. also think borgen is a good piece and those picks will still be helpful to add rentals at the deadline.

You think Borgen is a good piece? As a 2.7mil AAV UFA with terrible concrete and advanced stats, he's clearly negative value.

 

[SeanAveryTheGreatOne]

Kakko's reputation probably tanked leaguewide after the comments he made.

Y'all are acting like he made a Sloppy Seconds comment like my namesake... All he said was that he didn't deserve to be benched.

 

[Scoresberg]

I really hate that Trotz wasn’t in on this.

 

[Shark Finn]

I don't know too much about Rangers or Kakko but to me this is a move that shouldn't have been made, not this quickly at least, considering Kakko's comments or not. Why not include Kakko in a bigger trade for an upgrade to the roster or something?

Apparently he's a serviceable defensive-minded winger with potentially some offensive potential. Good deal for Kraken. A questionable deal for the Rangers, considering their current roster and situation.

Am I missing something?

 

[Iwishihadaspacebar]

There will be depth UFAs traded for this sort of value at the deadline, so that cost for a 23-year-old who is able to put up 40 points whilst also being a disappointment, is a steal.

 

[OysterForever]

Drury took that personal and Francis took the advantage.

 

[Northernhawk]

Atleast Chicago got a 1st and a 3rd for Kirby Dach

Frank Nazar and Gavin Hayes…

 

[jonlin]

What exactly did people expect in a return. Kakko is in his 6th season and has 4 goals, 14 points in 30 games in his 6th season with a career high of 40 points and 2nd best season of 23 points. He's Jesse Puljujarvi essentially.

13min/gp and with minimal PP-time. What do you expect? That is pretty good on the 3rd line actually. He is also +9, thats 2nd on the team. Lafreniere -12 and Zibanejad -17 with less 5vs5 points than Kakko. So, where was the problem?

 

[Pavels Dog]

Y'all are acting like he made a Sloppy Seconds comment like my namesake... All he said was that he didn't deserve to be benched.

He said other guys were worse. If you've ever been on a team of any kind that's an unacceptable comment to make. There's reasons guys like McDavid sit around saying "I need to be better" after a loss instead of saying what would actually be the truth about how bad his teammates are.

 

[wunderpanda]

You think Borgen is a good piece? As a 2.7mil AAV UFA with terrible concrete and advanced stats, he's clearly negative value.

he was good enough to earn that contract before bylsma became coach of the kraken. rags have superior goaltending and just need him to play defense for a playoff push or to sell him as a rental to a playoff team. good piece, yes.

 

[Aurinko]

For $2,4M cap hit, Kakko is worth the "risk" for any team. Weird how the Rangers didn't just take their time and get a decent return from him.

On the outside Kakko seems like a humble hardworking guy, so it would be a gigantic surprise if this trade would fix the Rangers season.

 

[biturbo19]

I can see what Drury was thinking here. Moved out Trouba for next to nothing...Borgen kind of backfills that for a lot cheaper. Also moved out a malcontent mouthing off in the media in the process.


But man, the value on this series of transactions is bad. Two good players in the right role, shipped out for one not very good player and some beans.

But something is clearly rotten in the state of Denmark...errr...New York. All three teams clearly feeling the heat and pressure to do...something.

 

[SatanicToedrag]

Pretty expected trade and value considering Kakko's reputation probably tanked leaguewide after the comments he made.

That tells you more about the league than the player. Absolutely nothing wrong with how he conducted himself.

 

[Albatros]

He's one of the better defensive forwards in the whole league.
He's slow though, so he's had hard time generating much offense, especially with almost no PP time, but maybe with a different system he'll start producing.

On EV he has more primary assists /60 than Nikita Kucherov, so it's not like the production hasn't been good relative to his usage.

Unfortunately Seattle may have taken him more because of the low price than his qualities.