Several teams are kicking around interest in Rangers defenseman Will Borgen, and the Senators are reportedly in that mix, according to Bruce Garrioch. That comes with the usual grain of salt attached, but the name is now out there.
Borgen still has four years left on a deal that carries a $4 million cap hit, which makes him look pretty reasonable in a market where defensive contracts have been climbing fast. The Rangers picked him up from Seattle in the trade that sent Kaapo Kakko the other way, but the fit hasn’t quite taken hold the way New York hoped.
He started last season well enough, then slipped back into the version of himself the Rangers saw in Seattle and during his first half-season with the club. At this point, Borgen looks more like a No. 3 right defenseman than anything higher on the depth chart.
That said, the contract matters. In a landscape where other deals are getting handed out, Borgen’s number stands out as manageable. If another team comes in with an offer that better matches what the Rangers want from their blue line and their current direction, Chris Drury would be smart to listen.
Ottawa, meanwhile, had been linked to Jordan Spence, and he would be the cleaner target if available. One thing that gets overlooked this time of year: a restricted free agent being signed does not automatically take him off the trade market. In many cases, it’s actually easier to move a player once he’s under contract than when he isn’t.
In Other News...
Avalanche Day One Move Looks Like A Direct Answer Up Front
The Avalanche wasted no time making their first move up front, and it came with a familiar kind of purpose: add a veteran who can still tilt shifts and help make the lineup look deeper in a hurry. Jaden Schwartz fits that idea. His track record suggests a player who can settle into a useful role without needing the spotlight, which is exactly the sort of addition teams make when they believe the pieces around him are close enough to push.
Around the league, the market has already been busy with names that matter to contenders and teams trying to retool on the fly. Mats Zuccarellos return to the Kings, Vincent Trochecks move out of New York, and Edmontons defensive reshuffling all point to a summer where front offices are leaning into fit as much as familiarity. For the Rangers, that churn is especially relevant because the need for another right-handed puck-mover has only become more obvious, and what they ultimately do there could shape the rest of their offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Drury Just Forced A New Rangers Identity Into Place
Chris Drury spent the first day of NHL free agency remaking the Rangers in real time, and the theme was hard to miss: sturdier, deeper, and a lot less reliant on chasing offense at the expense of everything else. New York added goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, brought in forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Joe Veleno on one-year deals, and landed defenseman Marcus Pettersson from Vancouver while also moving Will Borgen for draft capital.
The biggest swing came with Vincent Trocheck, a move that signaled just how willing the front office is to shuffle familiar pieces in pursuit of a different look. Between the goalie addition, the blue-line changes and the short-term bets up front, the Rangers are clearly trying to build around structure and depth rather than just talent alone, and the next question is whether the rest of the roster is ready to follow that new script. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Just Launched A Massive Cleanup Fans Cannot Ignore
The Rangers spent the opening stretch of free agency in a way that made their intentions impossible to miss, cranking through seven transactions in less than five hours and reshaping both the NHL roster and the draft cupboard in one burst. Joonas Korpisalo was brought in to stabilize the backup goaltending picture, while the rest of the day brought a wave of additions that changed the look of the lineup and gave the front office more pieces to work with moving forward.
What made the flurry stand out was how wide-ranging it was, with New York adding seven players and three draft picks while also moving out three players and two picks. The headliners gave the day real weight, but the bigger question now is how all of these moves fit together once the dust settles, especially after the Rangers also came away with nine new prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft, including defenseman Alberts mits. [Read more 🡒]