For the second time this offseason, the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers have agreed to a trade. The Rangers will be sending defenseman Will Borgen to the Bruins in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a conditional 2028 third-round pick. This third-round pick can become a second if the Bruins make the conference finals in any of the next two seasons and Borgen plays in 50% of the playoff games. But how does Borgen fit the Bruins' lineup?
Trade details:
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 1, 2026
To #NHLBruins:
D Will Borgen
To #NYR:
2027 2nd Round Pick
Cond. 2028 3rd Round Pick (that can upgrade to a 2nd)
What role will Will Borgen have for the Bruins?
Borgen is coming off a season in which he played mostly on the Rangers' second pairing. In 75 games for the Blueshirts, he logged five goals and 10 assists for 15 points. He also blocked 99 shots, delivered 111 hits, and forced 17 turnovers. His advanced metrics were also decent. He put up a 48.26 HDCF% and an xGA of 49.98. These numbers indicate the Borgen was average at shutting down opponents' scoring chances this past season.
Getting Borgen addresses one of the Bruins' most important needs, which was a right-handed defenseman. This has been an issue for the team since the trade deadline and was a problem they were looking to solve this offseason. But with a lack of quality options on the free agent market, they had to get creative. The Bruins now have a right-handed defenseman they can count on to give them solid minutes night in and night out.
He will likely be the Bruins' second-pairing defenseman on the right side. He will occasionally play up to the top pairing if injuries occur. Playing alongside Hampus Lindholm will create an aggressive, physical pairing. They will be able to complement each other, with Lindholm focusing on breaking up passes and scoring opportunities, while Borgen delivers the big hit. It may not show up on the stat sheet, but it will win hockey games.
This is not just a move for this season, but for the future as well. This upcoming season will be the third year of the five-year extension he signed back in 2025. Meaning he will not be a free agent until the end of the 2029-30 season. At $4.1 million annually, this is a steal for the Bruins. Sure, he will never be the best player on the ice, but he will give you a good performance. He is someone you can pencil in and not have to worry about.
While it may not be the big-name right-handed defenseman Bruins fans were hoping for, Borgen will be a good piece to this Bruins lineup. He is a cheap defenseman who will do just enough to put them in a position to win.
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