One of the best performers for the Blueshirts over the course of 2025 has been defenseman Will Borgen. Arriving late in 2024 from the Seattle Kraken in the trade that sent Kaapo Kakko to the Emerald City, the Rangers defenseman has slotted next to K'Andre Miller, and together, they've started to turn the organization around to a point where there is some semblance of the hockey team we expected to see when the season started on the ice.
As it turns out, Borgen wanted a fresh start. According to Elliotte Friedman in the latest 32 Thoughts, Borgen wanted a change of scenery, given the stagnation in Seattle. When the Rangers came calling with a forward who wanted to be traded, the two teams found themselves as natural trade partners. Whether it was good value for the Rangers or not is open to debate, but the Rangers acquired Borgen, who has been a very strong player in Blue.
We've seen the names of a few Rangers defensemen in the rumor mill. Still, the success that Borgen has enjoyed indicates that he will likely be around for the foreseeable future to get the best out of K'Andre Miller, as that pairing has worked so well. Borgen will be a much cheaper blueline option in the long term than Miller's long-time partner, Jacob Trouba. If the Rangers opt to keep Borgen, it'll have been a savvy move by Chris Drury.
There's a long time left before the trade deadline, and if a drastic overpayment comes in for Borgen, you must pull the trigger. However, if no desperate GM is paying through the nose for a defensive upgrade, it's hard to see where the Rangers would find a better option than this player. There's no arguing how good he has been in Blue, and the Rangers have relied on him over his short tenure.