Kraken acquire F Kaapo Kakko from Rangers for D Will Borgen, draft picks

Field Level Media|published: Wed 18th December, 21:12 2024

NHL: New York Rangers at Vancouver Canucks

Nov 19, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; New York Rangers forward Kaapo Kakko (24) skates against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

The Seattle Kraken obtained forward Kaapo Kakko, a former second overall draft pick, from the New York Rangers on Wednesday for defenseman Will Borgen and third- and sixth-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Kakko, 23, has four goals, 10 assists, 14 penalty minutes and a plus-9 rating in 30 games this season. He averages 13:17 minutes of ice time and was a healthy scratch in a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday before playing Tuesday in a 3-0 defeat to Nashville.

The Rangers picked Kakko, a native of Finland, second overall in the 2019 NHL Draft. He has 61 goals, 70 assists, 80 penalty minutes and a plus-13 rating in 330 regular-season games since the 2019-20 season.

Kakko has totaled nine points (four goals, five assists) with a minus-3 rating in 44 playoff games.

Borgen, who turns 28 on Thursday, has one goal, one assist, nine penalty minutes, 48 hits and 37 blocked shots in 33 games this season.

The Buffalo Sabres had selected him in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. He has played for the Sabres (14 games in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons) and Seattle, which took him in the 2021 expansion draft.

Borgen has nine goals, 46 assists, 153 penalty minutes, a minus-15 rating, 577 hits and 287 blocked shots in 247 regular-season games.

--Field Level Media