The Boston Bruins came into last season with high hopes and a clear mission: take the next step. After a 109-point campaign and a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division, they were looking to push past the second round of the playoffs.
General manager Don Sweeney made some bold moves to help get them there. He let Jake DeBrusk walk and brought in All-Star center Elias Lindholm to bolster the top six.
On the back end, he added the physically imposing Nikita Zadorov to an already stout defensive group. In net, Jeremy Swayman looked every bit like a franchise goalie, and the Bruins got strong contributions from players like Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, and Pavel Zacha.
There was real optimism in Boston.
But things didn’t go as planned.
Fast forward a year, and Sweeney found himself in sell mode. The Bruins, underperforming and facing a tough cap situation, pivoted to a retool.
The trades came fast: Charlie Coyle, Brad Marchand, Trent Frederic, and Brandon Carlo were all moved. In return, Boston brought in a mix of young talent and future assets-center Casey Mittelstadt, prospect Fraser Minten, another intriguing young name in Will Zellers, and a haul of draft picks.
Just as important, they cleared cap space. Now, Boston finds itself clinging to a narrow lead over the Maple Leafs and Panthers for the second Wild Card spot-and they’re not done dealing.
The Bruins had their eyes on Rasmus Andersson as a potential blue-line upgrade. They were even granted permission to negotiate an extension with him, but when talks stalled, the Calgary Flames shifted gears.
Instead of waiting on Boston, they took an offer from the Vegas Golden Knights-one that didn’t hinge on an extension. Vegas had been high on Andersson for a while, so the fit made sense.
And that brings us to where things stand now-and why Will Borgen’s name is starting to pop up in Boston’s rumor mill.
The Bruins still want to add to their defense. They’re reportedly kicking the tires on a potential reunion with Dougie Hamilton, currently with the New Jersey Devils.
But Hamilton, while talented, carries a hefty $9 million cap hit and has had trouble staying healthy. That’s a big swing for a team trying to stay flexible.
Borgen, on the other hand, is a different kind of target. He’s not Rasmus Andersson, and he’s certainly not Dougie Hamilton.
But he’s an effective piece in his own right. A third-pair defenseman with the Rangers, Borgen is a physical, stay-at-home type who kills penalties, throws his weight around, and keeps things simple.
He’s not flashy, but he’s dependable-and that’s exactly the kind of player who can help stabilize a playoff-bound roster.
Borgen is also under contract for four more years at $4.1 million annually. That’s a manageable number for a team like Boston, especially when you consider what Andersson is making now and what he’ll likely command on his next deal. Slotting Borgen in alongside someone like Hampus Lindholm or Nikita Zadorov would give the Bruins a reliable, cost-controlled top four for the foreseeable future.
If you’re Boston, that’s a win.
Now, what would it take to pry Borgen loose from the Rangers?
Let’s look at the Andersson deal for context. Vegas sent a significant package to Calgary, including defenseman Zach Whitecloud (partly for salary purposes, but still a solid player), and potentially two first-round picks depending on how things shake out. That’s a steep price-but again, Andersson is a top-pair offensive defenseman with more upside than Borgen.
A better comparison might be Brandon Carlo, who was dealt by Boston to Toronto. Carlo, like Borgen, is a big, defensive-minded blueliner who doesn’t do much with the puck but plays a shutdown role.
When the Bruins moved Carlo, they got Fraser Minten, a fourth-round pick in 2025, and a top-five protected first-rounder in 2026. Boston also retained 15% of Carlo’s salary through the 2026-27 season to help make the deal work.
Borgen is arguably a more effective player now than Carlo was at the time of his trade, and he’s on a team-friendly deal with term. That gives the Rangers leverage if they decide to move him. But for Boston, he checks a lot of boxes: cost-controlled, defensively sound, playoff-ready.
The Bruins are clearly not done reshaping their roster. They’re still in the hunt, and they’re looking to make smart additions that help now without compromising the future. Borgen might not be the headline-grabbing name fans were hoping for, but he could be exactly the kind of move that helps Boston solidify its back end and hold onto that Wild Card spot.
In a tight playoff race, sometimes the most important moves are the ones that don’t make the biggest splash-but make the biggest difference.