SEATTLE — The New York Rangers traded Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, ending the winger's tumultuous time in the organization.
The Rangers received defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick from Seattle in the deal, which came less than 36 hours after Kakko expressed displeasure about being a healthy scratch. It was not clear if his comments had anything to do with the timing of the trade, given general manager Chris Drury's desire for several weeks to shake up his roster.
"Kaapo is a young dynamic forward who brings skill and offense to our club," Kraken GM Ron Francis said in a statement. "We're excited to have him join us."
Kakko said Tuesday he was surprised by coach Peter Laviolette's decision to bench him during the struggling Rangers' game Sunday at St. Louis, calling it "easy to take the young guy and put him out."
New York has lost 11 of its past 14 games, including five of seven since trading captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim. The team was shut out Tuesday night in Nashville.
Kakko, the second pick in the 2019 draft and a native of Finland, was a healthy scratch once during the Rangers' run to the Eastern Conference final last spring and was rumored to be involved in trade talks over the summer even after signing a one-year contract as a restricted free agent. With 14 points in his first 30 games this season, he now gets a fresh start with the Kraken at age 23.
Borgen, 27, was an expansion draft choice by Seattle in 2021 from Buffalo. His acquisition gives New York a right-shot defenseman with 261 games of NHL regular-season and playoff experience to replace Trouba.
"(I) want to thank Will for everything he's done for our franchise," Francis said. "As an original member of the Kraken, we wish him all the best in New York."
After making the move, the Rangers sent defenseman Victor Mancini to Hartford of the American Hockey League and recalled forward Matt Rempe, who has spent a bulk of the season so far in the minors.