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Trade Grades: Rangers send Will Borgen to Bruins for picks
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- Trade Grades: Rangers send Will Borgen to Bruins for picks
The New York Rangers had a surplus of right-handed defensemen, and Will Borgen proved to be the odd man out. The Blueshirts shipped Borgen to the Boston Bruins for a pair of draft picks in the last of four trades made by the organization on July 1.
New York acquired Sean Durzi from the Utah Mammoth in the Vincent Trocheck trade, adding the talented right-hander to a blue line that already featured Adam Fox , Braden Schneider , and Borgen on that side. Trade speculation swirled around Schneider, who is a restricted free agent this offseason, but general manager Chris Drury opted to move Borgen instead.
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The Rangers received Boston's second-round pick in 2027 and a conditional 2028 third-round pick. The third-rounder can upgrade to a second-round pick in 2028 if the Bruins advance to the Eastern Conference Final in either 2027 or 2028, provided that Borgen plays at least 50 percent of their playoff games that season.
It marked the second trade between the two clubs that day. The Rangers acquired goaltender Joonas Korpisalo for a 2028 fourth-round pick and minor league forward Kalle Väisänen.
Borgen came over to New York from the Seattle Kraken in December 2024 as part of the trade return for former No. 2 overall pick Kaapo Kakko . He signed a five-year extension with the Rangers one month later. The 29-year-old has four years left on his contract, worth $4.1 million annually .
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He appeared in 75 games with the Rangers last season as a staple on the second defense pairing, recording 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) and a plus-three rating. Borgen was third on the Rangers with 99 blocked shots and fifth with 111 hits.
Grading Will Borgen trade between Rangers and Bruins
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New York Rangers: B+
The Rangers got good value for a defenseman that no longer had a place in their top six. Drury could have opened up a spot for him by moving Schneider — a more attractive trade chip — but Borgen still carries some value by virtue of being a defensively responsible right-shot D.
Borgen is a 6-foot-3 stay-at-home defenseman with limited offensive upside. There's a place for that in the NHL, but New York proved an imperfect fit after acquiring Durzi, who's a better puck distributor.
His best stretch with the Rangers was in 2024-25 when he he partnered with K'Andre Miller, as Borgen's more conservative style complemented the offensively gifted Miller. But the Rangers traded Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2025 offseason, and struggled to find a defenseman who could replicate his offensive impact last season. Borgen spent much of 2025-26 partnered with another stay-at-home type, Carson Soucy , until the veteran blueliner was traded to the Islanders in January.
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New York needed to add more playmaking to its backend ahead of the 2026-27 season, and Borgen does little to help in that area. He could have been a suitable partner for a solid puck-mover like Marcus Pettersson, acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in another trade Wednesday, but it's hard to envision Borgen in a top-four role after a series of moves to reinforce the Rangers' defensive corps.
Borgen's $4.1 million average annual value (AAV) was hardly a back-breaker, but the Rangers have too many holes elsewhere to enter 2026-27 with four established right-shot defensemen. His term was likely more attractive to teams with a more glaring need on that side of the blue line.
Even if Boston's 2028 pick doesn't upgrade to a second-rounder, New York has two solid draft picks that can be used to bolster its prospect pool or perhaps even included in a trade for an NHL-ready asset if the club finds itself back in playoff contention.
This move also shouldn't prevent Drury from trading Schneider, who filed for arbitration Sunday , should he wish to explore that option. Scott Morrow is coming off a rocky 2025-26 campaign, but has 45 games of NHL experience and could slide into a bottom-pair role on the right side if needed, as could Vincent Iorio .
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Boston Bruins: B
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Boston needed help on the right side of its defense after Andrew Peeke 's departure in free agency. Borgen carries a manageable cap hit and should have a chance to seize a top-four role.
Borgen's $4.1 million AAV is solid value for a right-shot defenseman in this market, and his term aligns with the Bruins' contention window.
After missing the postseason in 2024-25, Boston returned to the playoffs with an emphatic 100-point campaign in 2025-26. Contending remains the goal, after the Bruins sent two first-round picks to the Mammoth to acquire forward J.J. Peterka on June 27. With David Pastrnak under contract through 2030-31 and Charlie McAvoy signed for four more seasons, the Bruins should be buyers for the remainder of Borgen's contract.
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He's not a flashy player by any means, but Borgen has a concrete NHL floor and plays a strong, simple game in front of the net. Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin raved about him last season.
Boston paid a fairly steep price for a 29-year-old defenseman who isn't likely to make much of an impact offensively. A second-round pick and conditional third-rounder are valuable trade chips that could have proved useful down the line.
Still, the Bruins had a glaring need at the position, and Borgen helps fill it. It's a solid add for a team looking to keep pace in a stacked Atlantic Division.
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