The New York Rangers acquired Will Borgen in the trade that sent Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 18. The Blueshirts then signed him to a five-season, $20.5 million extension on Jan. 25. Though he has done a nice job playing alongside K’Andre Miller since the trade, the extension is a risky move that is reminiscent of the deal that Brendan Smith signed with the team following the 2016-17 season.
Will Borgen’s Play
The Buffalo Sabres took Borgen in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft and he played just 14 games combined with the team in 2018-19 and 2020-21. However, the Kraken selected him in the 2021 Expansion Draft and he earned a more steady role with them. He did a nice job on their third defense pair and finished with two goals and six assists in 36 games in 2021-22. He had three goals and 17 assists in 82 games in 2022-23 and had three goals and 22 assists in 2023-24. He got the chance to play in the top four last season after a few key defensemen missed time injured.
He played fairly well in his previous three seasons, but Borgen struggled with the Kraken this season. He was back on their third pair and had just one goal and one assist in 33 games. He was also minus-13, which was the worst on the team at the time of the trade. He has played better after the trade, though. He has two goals, two assists, and is minus-2 in 19 games with the Rangers. Miller, who also struggled early this season, has played better alongside Borgen on the second defense pair.
Borgen possesses ideal size at 6-foot-3 and 204 pounds and he plays with physicality. He is a smooth skater and likes to fire shots from the point. The Rangers have a lot of pass-first players, so Borgen’s shoot-first mentality is ideal. He has shown he can contribute offensively at even strength.
Borgen has made some nice plays defensively and helped clear the front of the net, but did have a bad giveaway on a cross-ice pass that led to a costly goal in the final minute of a 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
Borgen’s extension lasting five years is a big risk given his struggles earlier this season and the fact that he has spent the majority of his career as a third-pair defenseman. He is 28 and will be 33 when the deal ends.
Similarities to Brendan Smith’s Contract
The Rangers acquired Smith in a mid-season trade with the Detroit Red Wings during the 2016-17 season. Like Borgen this season, Smith struggled early in 2016-17. He had two goals and three assists in 33 games with the Red Wings. He played better after the trade, providing steady physical play, and had one goal and three assists in 18 games with the Blueshirts. He also had no goals and four assists in 12 postseason games.
Following the 2016-17 season, the Rangers signed Smith to a four-season, $17.4 million deal when he was 28. But it did not age well. Though he played with physicality and stood up for his teammates, he made too many defensive mistakes and did not produce much offensively. He began on the third defense pair in 2017-18 and was then moved to forward, spending time playing on the fourth line.
The Rangers gave Smith a long-term deal based on strong play for a very short stretch of games. He never produced big numbers offensively and did not develop into a top defenseman during his six seasons with the Red Wings. The deal looked like an overpay at the time and it aged as expected.
For Borgen and the Rangers Moving Forward…
The Rangers will be relying on Borgen for the next five seasons. Though he is off to a strong start with New York, that is a very big commitment to a player who struggled on the Kraken’s third defense pair earlier this season. He needs to give the Rangers steady defensive play while chipping in offensively. Even with the NHL salary cap projected to increase significantly next season, his contract is a big risk, and now the Blueshirts must hope his deal ages better than Smith’s.
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