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

[gabevh3]

This is ludicrous. Drury should be fired.

VGK has always been cut-throat about roster moves. But they get away with it because it's almost ways a clear improvement on the ice. They let players go, in the process of getting better.

This last string of moves from Drury just looks abysmal. He gutted leadership and youth, all in the most backstabbing way possible. And the result is a less talented team. They just won the Presidents Trophy, so it's not like they're a rebuilding team. What is this garbage?

If I had been put in charge of NYR a year ago and told to "ruin this team", I couldn't have done a better job. The team is demoralized and losing.

Drury has been trying to do that for almost twenty years now it seems lol

 

[mattihp]

Seems very cheap for a utility player of Kakko's age.

 

[FiveTacos]

And he has diabetes... You can't play hockey at a high level if you have diabetes...

Did someone say diabetes?

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Team won the President's Trophy and the New York media and Ranger fandom hailed him as the next Bill Torrey.

Gm of the year? Lol what did he do to deserve that?

 

[Aurinko]

Poor Kakko.

He's the sacrificial lamb, paying for the sins of the Rangers veterans

It's a blessing in disguise for him. If the older players refusing to play for the current management is the issue, there is high chance the cleansings will continue, like in a *certain* eastern dictatorship where the leadership never carries responsibility for their mistakes.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

Great job, Drury. Another bang-up job you did.


Like I said, Chris Drury is the worst GM in the NHL.

Adams exist.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Seems very cheap for a utility player of Kakko's age.

Drury gave him away as retaliation for his comments about Laviolette.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

That was quick.

I think that was Kakko.

 

[HFpapi]

a 6th and a nothing Dman. Whether Kakko goes on to be something or not, that's what the Rangers have to show for a 2nd overall pick.

Going back to Hugh Jessiman in 2003, arguably the most stacked draft of all-time, has any professional sports franchise ever put on such an abysmal display of drafting?

It's a 21 year run of some truly diabolical first round drafting.

 

[SEALBound]

To me, it's not fully about trade valuation here but how reactionary everything seems by the timing and methodology of Drury's recent actions. There's no time to waste jettisoning players with long-term relationships with the team instead of finding any way to mend things internally?

Threatening waivers to "circumvent" the NTC of your captain, or immediately trading a player the team drafted and developed only days after the player said they wished they knew why they were the one benched just is a bad, bad look.

Even without us knowing the extent of the conversations behind the scenes, it's really just reeking of organizational fragility and knee-jerk decision making.


Another Mulletman classic.

Is it knee-jerk though? I mean, we know they tried to trade Trouba in the off-season and he exercised his rights in his NTC. Drury was then about the exercise his/team's right to put him on waivers. That is not circumventing, at all. Re: Kakko, I highly doubt the first time Drury picked up the phone on him was after the comments. We the fans base everything off what we hear in the news/rumor-sphere. But that's not always a 1:1 timeline. I would be willing to bet Drury has had several conversations on Kakko over the last month or two.

Drury is in a tough spot at the moment with the team struggling, so everything gets amplified. Is there honestly a trade at any time he could have made that wouldn't get the "this is a knee-jerk reaction!" response? Team is struggling, he makes two moves to help correct it. I don't think either trade are a "bad look". Players have plenty of ways to control their contract and situation and so does the team. Some have more control than others.

A bad look would be Buffalo trading Thompson or Cozens after the owners meets with them and says "no trades".

 

[elmaco]

Drury gave him away as retaliation for his comments about Laviolette.

How is it that these employees can ruin an organization without the owners interfering?

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Wow

Sucks for the Rags to have missed out a great opportunity. End up with a decent defensive dman... From a draft where they could have gotten Byram or Seider or Boldy etc etc.

 

[AirGut]

a 6th and a nothing Dman. Whether Kakko goes on to be something or not, that's what the Rangers have to show for a 2nd overall pick.

Going back to Hugh Jessiman in 2003, arguably the most stacked draft of all-time, has any professional sports franchise ever put on such an abysmal display of drafting?

It's a 21 year run of some truly diabolical first round drafting.

How are you blaming the team when it just ends up being shit luck? Kakko became what he is, had an amazing draft year but couldn't quite put his offensive talents on full display with a smaller NA rink. He's not the first Euro to experience that sort of problem and have been drafted relatively high. Rangers should've gotten Hughes that draft but of course, the Devils with a 1st OVR in 2/3 years. It is what it is.

Lias Andersson & Vitaly Kravtsov picks are the real disasters people should still be talking about. Thankfully Drury exiled guys like Gordie Clarke responsible for the boneheaded drafting and he's now in a cozy job up in MTL.

 

[LeBrun is a Clown]

Pat Verbeek somehow managed to get fleeced by him

Oh yes a top 4 dman for a 4th and tweeter is such a fleece …

Cap hit is a non factor w 20 mil plus in space

 

[dgibb10]

Oh yes a top 4 dman for a 4th and tweeter is such a fleece …

Cap hit is a non factor w 20 mil plus in space

"Cap hit is a non factor w 20 mil plus in space"

He had the opportunity to sign any number of players in UFA, in one of the best RHD markets in a WHILE, and failed to convince any of them using said cap space.

So he made a bad trade to make up for a bad free agency.

 

[gstommylee]

And he has diabetes... You can't play hockey at a high level if you have diabetes...

Yes you can as long as it is properly managed.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

KIKO

Krappo in Krappo out

 

[mattihp]

Any word on what numbers the players will wear?

 

[bellringer77]

Damn I was wondering if Berggren and a 2nd woulda got it done, but I’m very timid with player values outside clear cut value

 

[SeanAveryTheGreatOne]

a 6th and a nothing Dman. Whether Kakko goes on to be something or not, that's what the Rangers have to show for a 2nd overall pick.

Going back to Hugh Jessiman in 2003, arguably the most stacked draft of all-time, has any professional sports franchise ever put on such an abysmal display of drafting?

It's a 21 year run of some truly diabolical first round drafting.

The lone saving grace we've had has been our 6th round goalies becoming Vezina winners, but that's more of Allaire's doing. Our 1st round picks might be WOAT

 

[Brodeur]

"Cap hit is a non factor w 20 mil plus in space"

He had the opportunity to sign any number of players in UFA, in one of the best RHD markets in a WHILE, and failed to convince any of them using said cap space.

So he made a bad trade to make up for a bad free agency.

As we explained on the Devils board, it's a combination of a couple things. Anaheim not necessarily wanting to give out a long term deal when they have a bunch of young D who'll need new contracts in a couple seasons. Combine that with Anaheim not exactly being a hot free agent destination. You keep making it seem like they should have been a contender for Brett Pesce if they had offered one more dollar than the Devils. Who else was on the market? Montour? I don't think that's somebody the Ducks wanted a 7+ year reunion.

You even went as far as saying they should have signed T.J. Brodie and Alec Martinez which doesn't seem like a particularly great solution especially knowing that Martinez has missed more than half the season because of injuries. While both have experience playing the right side, Anaheim was looking for a RHD. Trouba fills a spot for the next season+ and Anaheim can likely get much more than the 4th if/when they trade him at next year's deadline.

 

[HuGort]

Kakko is like Zadina. He was chosen so high in draft due to their WJC performance

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Any word on what numbers the players will wear?

Kakko is wearing #84.

 

[bleedgreen]

Kakko is like Zadina. He was chosen so high in draft due to their WJC performance

That’s the case with many prospects, it’s not a bad thing. It’s prospects playing against the best competition available to them. It’s the best place to rate their talent. A good wjc should raise your profile. Both guys WERE great at the WJC’s and they both deserved to be taken high at the time of their drafts.

 

[Sampe from the 2000s]

Kakko is like Zadina. He was chosen so high in draft due to their WJC performance

... in addition to breaking Barkov's Liiga goal record for first time NHL draft eligibles, being the MVP of his team in the playoffs, outplaying Jack Hughes in the World Championships, and becoming a 3-time world champion (U18, U20, men) before draft day.