The Rangers finally found a landing spot for one of their extra right-handed defensemen, sending Will Borgen to the Bruins in a deal that brought back two draft picks and closed out a busy July 1 for New York.
Boston sent over its 2027 second-round pick and a conditional 2028 third-rounder, with that third-rounder able to climb to a 2028 second if the Bruins reach the Eastern Conference Final in either 2027 or 2028 and Borgen appears in at least half of their playoff games that season.
It was the second time the Rangers and Bruins hooked up that day. Earlier, New York picked up goaltender Joonas Korpisalo for a 2028 fourth-round pick and minor league forward Kalle Väisänen.
Borgen’s exit had been building for a while. The Rangers had already added Sean Durzi from the Utah Mammoth in the Vincent Trocheck trade, giving them another right-shot option on a blue line that also included Adam Fox and Braden Schneider. Schneider drew plenty of trade chatter, especially with restricted free agency hanging over him, but Chris Drury chose to move Borgen instead.
The 29-year-old arrived in New York from the Seattle Kraken in December 2024 as part of the return for Kaapo Kakko, then signed a five-year extension a month later. He still has four years left on that deal at $4.1 million per season.
Last season, Borgen played 75 games for the Rangers and settled into a regular role on the second pair. He finished with 15 points, including five goals and 10 assists, plus a plus-three rating. He also ranked third on the team with 99 blocked shots and fifth with 111 hits.
For New York, the move fits the direction of the rest of the roster shuffle. The Rangers needed more puck movement on the back end, and Borgen’s game was never built around that.
He’s a 6-foot-3, defense-first righty who can handle tough minutes, but after the Durzi addition and the trade for Marcus Pettersson, there just wasn’t much room left for him in the top six. His best fit in New York came alongside K’Andre Miller in 2024-25, when Borgen’s steady style worked next to Miller’s offense.
Once Miller was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2025 offseason, that balance disappeared.
Borgen spent much of 2025-26 paired with Carson Soucy until Soucy was dealt to the Islanders in January. With the Rangers trying to reshape the defense for 2026-27, Borgen became the piece that made the most sense to move.
His contract wasn’t a burden, but it was still enough term to appeal to a team with a clear need on the right side. New York now gets two draft assets it can use to restock the pipeline or package in another move if it stays in the playoff hunt.
The trade also doesn’t shut the door on more changes. Schneider filed for arbitration Sunday, and the Rangers still have options such as Scott Morrow, who has 45 games of NHL experience, and Vincent Iorio if they need help on the right side.
Boston, meanwhile, gets the kind of player it was missing. Andrew Peeke left in free agency, and the Bruins needed another right-shot defenseman who could step into a meaningful role. Borgen’s cap hit and term line up with their window, and the fit is obvious: a straightforward, physical defender who does the dirty work around the crease and gives them a real NHL floor.
The Bruins are trying to keep moving after a 100-point season in 2025-26 brought them back to the playoffs following a missed postseason in 2024-25. They already made a major swing on June 27, sending two first-round picks to the Mammoth for J.J. Peterka, and with David Pastrnak signed through 2030-31 and Charlie McAvoy locked in for four more seasons, they’re clearly still in the market to win now.
Borgen won’t bring much offense, but he does bring stability. Igor Shesterkin summed up that side of his game last season, saying:
“I love the way he plays in front of me. He is a huge player for us - he plays really well, smart, he’s a strong guy. We have a pretty good connection, but I hate it when I play against him.”
Boston paid a real price to get him, but the need was real too. In a crowded Atlantic Division, the Bruins decided Borgen was worth the cost.
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