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

[DavidpauseReinbacher]

This is why Laf needs to get out.

 

[The don godfather]

This is why Laf needs to get out.

Kakko looks like the real deal. This is becoming quite the story now.

 

[LOFIN]

Kakko looks like the real deal. This is becoming quite the story now.

Let's pump the brakes on that. There's a truth somewhere in the middle of "he's becoming a superstar!" and "He's exactly the same player as in New York, just with more ice time on a shitty team".

It might be a story a year from now. Even then, the discussion is going to be about what the Rangers did to ruin the development, not about the trade itself.

 

[Dead Coyote]

He's in his sixth season since getting drafted and has only hit 40 points as his career high. There are people bumping this thread every game as if they have no dignity because he's on pace for 46 points now.

Come on, have some self respect. Kakko might turn into a 60-70 point player, if things go well. But don't make this into something it's not. The dude didn't cut it with the Rangers as a top 6 forward. He did not earn 19-20 minutes that he's getting now for a bad team that lacks forward talent and doesn't have any mandate to win. He couldn't even handle 16-17 minutes with the Rangers. Any time he'd get a bigger role he'd go invisible and fairly find his way back down the lineup.

Yes, maybe he would've been better off playing initially for a team that sucked and he could've done nothing for a few years and they'd keep throwing him back out there, but that wasn't the situation. He did not show scoring talent needed to be anywhere near what he was hyped as at 2OA. Sorry, you aren't convincing me that force-feeding this guy who struggled to beat 40 points upwards of 20 minutes a game all of a sudden makes him some great player he wasn't three weeks ago when we had nearly 5 and a half seasons of evidence on what he was.

It's a fact that he has been the best consistent defensive forward on the Rangers. It's a fact that when he was played with Lafreniere it was the best line by far on the Rags for that year.

It's also a fact that Kakko has 12 pts in 14 games with the Kraken.

You can twist the narrative however you want, but those are just facts.

 

[The don godfather]

Let's pump the brakes on that. There's a truth somewhere in the middle of "he's becoming a superstar!" and "He's exactly the same player as in New York, just with more ice time on a shitty team".

It might be a story a year from now. Even then, the discussion is going to be about what the Rangers did to ruin the development, not about the trade itself.

Numbers are numbers hes almost a point a game so far in seattle. This is looking really sweet for kraken so far.

 

[Mark Stones Spleen]

Since the Trouba trade, Schneider is playing :43 seconds less per game than Borgen. They are 4th and 5th for defensemen TOI in that span (and they aren’t going to be much higher when you have Fox as your 1D). I also think that Schneider will be the 2RD over time. Borgen is paired with Miller right now, and his pair is going to be the second pair. Don’t think there’s any type of concern to see here. Just the way the pairs are structured right now sees Borgen play a shift more per game at the moment.

Yeah but that's just artificial TOI.

 

[LOFIN]

This is looking really sweet for kraken so far.

Oh for sure, they gave up practically nothing. But it also has to be said, that while Rangers probably didn't get the best value for Kakko, keeping him was not an option either.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

It's a fact that he has been the best consistent defensive forward on the Rangers. It's a fact that when he was played with Lafreniere it was the best line by far on the Rags for that year.

It's also a fact that Kakko has 12 pts in 14 games with the Kraken.

You can twist the narrative however you want, but those are just facts.

10 points in 13 before todays game against the Kings. And he already has 2 points today.

 

[WarriorofTime]

So what contract does Seattle offer/Kakko sign now?

 

[Dead Coyote]

10 points in 13 before todays game against the Kings. And he already has 2 points today.

He's doing just fine lol. I mean, our team sucks. But he's still being one of our most productive forwards and one of the only reasons we've won a bunch of games.

 

[Miro4Norris]

So since trade Kakko has more points than any Rangers player and Seattle player other than his linemate Schwartz (13 in 14).

But that doesn't count because Kakko's average TOI is 16:34, double of what Rangers wanted to give him

Where is their Kreider, Zibanejad and Wheeler ready to take Kakko's ice time as trusted veterans?

 

[DavidpauseReinbacher]

So since trade Kakko has more points than any Rangers player and Seattle player other than his linemate Schwartz (13 in 14).

But that doesn't count because Kakko's average TOI is 16:34, double of what Rangers wanted to give him

Aooooougah

 

[BusQuets]

Giving your 2nd overall trust and TOI? Sorry but that's not the Rangers way. Better watch out those give-aways on offensive zone and the creative stuff that got your draft status.

 

[LiveLongandProspal]

I DESPISE Chris Drury

 

[FIRE DRURY]

There are so many Rangers fans who called this. This exact scenario. To the f***ing T. Even years ago.

Kakko’s traded for Pennies on the dollar and he’s given a bigger opportunity and takes off.

Pizza bitch needs to be fired. What a miserable clown of a GM.

 

[UnSandvich]

Maaaan, i'm just glad for Kakko. Dude took so much shit from fans of both the Rangers and rivals, glad to see him taking off now that he's out of the spotlight

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Rangers looking like clowns on this one.

 

[LiveLongandProspal]

Chris Drury is a terrorist

 

[Flan the incredible]

This is Sammy Blais all over again

 

[eojsmada]

Dang...practically PPG player away from NYR. Surprised the media hasn't blown this up more. Of course Vancouver is stealing all the click-bait, lately.

 

[Danarqhy]

Who fumbled more: Oilers with Dylan Holloway or the Rags with Kakko? Could be a good battle for who screwed up more.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

There are so many Rangers fans who called this. This exact scenario. To the f***ing T. Even years ago.

Kakko’s traded for Pennies on the dollar and he’s given a bigger opportunity and takes off.

Pizza bitch needs to be fired. What a miserable clown of a GM.

Exactly what Flames fans went through with Bennett.

Christ it’s frustrating when organizations get the simple shit wrong…

Who fumbled more: Oilers with Dylan Holloway or the Rags with Kakko? Could be a good battle for who screwed up more.

Dylan Holloway has never leaped off the screen as someone who needed playing time ahead of who the Oilers could otherwise run out there.

Kakko was a 2nd overall pick. You’d think it would behoove an organization to feed that kid ice time and figure out how to get the most out of him.

 

[jay from jersey]

There are so many Rangers fans who called this. This exact scenario. To the f***ing T. Even years ago.

Kakko’s traded for Pennies on the dollar and he’s given a bigger opportunity and takes off.

Pizza bitch needs to be fired. What a miserable clown of a GM.

Pretty much….. there’s not many NYR fans who said he would be a failure….. at worst SEA would be getting a solid mid 20’s good 3rd liner, but given a increase in opportunity with more min and special teams time he absolutely still had the potential to be a solid top 6 2-way wing capable of scoring around 60 pts etc….
It’s been NYR fans mantra for a while now……
For whatever reasons, Kakko and NYR were stale and he wouldn’t get the opportunity or minute in NY. He was also mad about his usage…..
With him needing a new deal soon, it was common knowledge that they weren’t going to invest in him long term with higher numbers.
That was before his outburst to the media…. The outburst just hurried along then inevitable.
Most fans, including myself thought he should have got more in a trade return….. it’s like the Buch situation rearing its ugly head. I’m happy Kakko is playing well and seizing the opportunity….. sometimes guys just can’t perform in NY….. even with size/talent/draft status etc….. they just can’t put it all together at the right time…….
Most fans saying this could be a Bennett situation for SEA are completely accurate.

 

[jay from jersey]

Exactly what Flames fans went through with Bennett.

Christ it’s frustrating when organizations get the simple shit wrong…



Dylan Holloway has never leaped off the screen as someone who needed playing time ahead of who the Oilers could otherwise run out there.

Kakko was a 2nd overall pick. You’d think it would behoove an organization to feed that kid ice time and figure out how to get the most out of him.

Tough for a rookie/kid to come in on an established playoff team and walk into a top 6 role with special teams time. Especially when the team had/has been at the top of the east and constant playoff performing team in the last 5+ seasons….
Kakko absolutely had stints in NY where he could have seized the opportunity more…. He did have time in the top 6 here, but was always walking on eggshells playing with Kreider and Zibby….
It was kind of a perfect storm of them not meshing well together style wise and lack of min/opportunity in the current line up the way NYR is constructed….
To date, Kakko has played his best minutes on 3rd line in NY…. He also hasn’t been able to produce points wise while being higher up in the line up on different occasions.
He also wasn’t feed heavy minutes and special teams time since being drafted…. There’s no other way kids learn…. They need that time to get better and learn from mistakes….
When they don’t have a heavy workload, it’s delays or stalls their development.
It’s a huge reason why I’ve been going nuts that Laffy needs to be on NYR 1PP yesterday.
These guys need that time/opportunity for experience, confidence, etc you name it…..
If you don’t give offensive guys like that the leash enough to grow, they stagnate in a lower role and you get a situation like NYR-Kakko

 

[Chips]

Playing 19-20 minutes does.

Rangers should have tried it lol.


When he got scratched, he had almost as many 5v5 points as Kreider and Zib combined. He flat out looked better than much of the team some nights.

At worst he was playing great possession/defense with a great goal differential, on a team that historically is mid or bad at 5v5 in recent years, and looked bad then. He was getting little time or benched while watching vets look like absolute shit getting fed prime minutes. It’s seemed like they mainly started docking minutes after Kakkos comments about that exact issue.


Opportunity, but also confidence is inportant. Small sample but so far he’s 13pts in 14 games with a bad team. Also worth mentioning 23 year olds absolutely can continue developing.