Kraken acquires Kaapo Kakko

The Kraken have added depth on offense by using wingers Kaapo Kakko from the Rangers. In return, New York will receive a defenseman Will Borgena 2025 third-round pick and a 2025 sixth-round pick. Both teams have announced the trade.

Kakko was the second overall pick in 2019, but while he showed early signs of being an impactful player, he has also struggled to perform consistently over his now six-year career. The 23-year-old has only reached the 40-point mark once before, in 2022-23, when he scored 18 goals and 22 assists in 82 games. His production dipped to just 19 points in 61 games last season, which led to the two teams agreeing to a one-year, $2.4 million contract in June, a move that did not slow trade speculation surrounding him.

This move comes not long after Kakko expressed frustration at being a healthy scratch over the weekend as the Rangers continued to try to shake up their lineup to overcome their recent losing streak. That frustration was justified as he got off to a decent start this year, scoring four goals and ten assists in 30 games, despite spending a lot of time in the bottom six and averaging just 13:17 per game. Producing around half a point per game in this role is certainly a decent accomplishment that Seattle would like to add to an offensive group that is mid-range.

As for Borgen, the soon-to-be 28-year-old was a force to be reckoned with during his four-year tenure with Seattle, where he was selected in the expansion draft by Buffalo. Last season, he set career highs in assists (22), points (25), blocked shots (111), hits (195) and ATOI (17:35) and appeared to be on his way to a bigger role on defense . However, that hasn’t necessarily been the case this season, as he only managed one goal and one assist in 33 games while his playing time dropped to 15:12 per night, a career low.

Despite his struggles, Dan Rosen of NHL.com (Twitter link) reports that the Rangers have coveted Borgen for some time. With the departure of Jacob Trouba After Anaheim, they needed a little more defensive depth and this move should provide that Victor Mancini to return to AHL Hartford where he can play a larger role. Borgen is also in the final season of his $2.7 million contract, so New York will gain a small amount of money from this trade. What’s notable is that he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer, while Kakko still has an RFA year left.

Considering his draft status, it seems like a pretty low price for Seattle to acquire Kakko, and they’re hoping a change of scenery can help unlock the offensive potential that made him the No. 2 pick. Meanwhile, with New York seemingly unsure of striking a long-term deal with him, they opted to make a move more focused on the present rather than trying to maximize value in the form of a higher draft or potential compensation. With the two picks added, they now have seven for the upcoming draft.

Interestingly, several first-round picks in the 2019 draft class have already been moved. As The Athletic’s Peter Baugh points out (Twitter link), eight of the top 19 picks from this year have already been traded, including three of the top four picks. Among those who did not move, a couple (Dylan Cozens And Trevor Zegras) have themselves been the subject of trade speculation in recent months, so the number of top picks moving out of this class could soon increase even further.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.