logo
FlamesNation has no direct affiliation to the Calgary Flames, Calgary Sports and Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
Around the NHL: The Rangers trade Kaapo Kakko to the Kraken
alt
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Dec 19, 2024, 18:30 ESTUpdated: Dec 19, 2024, 17:50 EST
Comments
Trades! Trades! Come and get your trades here!
The National Hockey League saw three trades on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s 11:59 p.m. (local time) roster freeze. The biggest of the bunch saw the New York Rangers trade their second-overall pick in the 2019 draft, Kaapo Kakko, to the Seattle Kraken for defenceman Will Borgen and two picks.
Despite his high draft selection, the Finnish winger has never figured it out. This season, he scored four goals and 14 points in 30 games and is a +9. The 23-year-old’s career-high came in 2022-23 when he scored 18 goals and 40 points in 82 games. Last season, he scored 13 goals and 19 points in 61 games. For his entire career, he has 61 goals and 131 points in 330 games. Looking at his career in any way shows that Kakko has just not been good enough in a Rangers uniform.
Borgen, a right-shot defenceman, was selected 92nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2015 draft. The newly formed Seattle Kraken took him in the expansion draft, where he had spent the past four seasons. Overall, he has nine goals and 55 points in 233 career games.

Alexandre Carrier traded to the Canadiens

The flailing Nashville Predators also made a move on Wednesday, trading right-shot defenceman Alexandre Carrier to the Montréal Canadiens for Justin Barron.
Carrier grew up a few hours down the road from Montréal, in Québec City. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2015 draft by the Predators and had his career-best season in 2021-22, when he scored three goals and 30 points in 77 games. Last season, he scored four goals and 20 points, signing a three-year extension.
This season, Carrier has a goal and seven points in 28 games. Barron was selected 25th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2020 draft and was acquired by the Canadiens before the 2022 trade deadline for Artturi Lehkonen. Last season, the right-shot defenceman scored a career-high seven goals in 48 games, while his 15 points in 39 games in 2022-23 was his career-high.
In the off-season, the Predators signed Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. This was considered by many, including myself, to be the best off-season, at least on paper. Well, 32 games into the season, and the Predators have a 9-17-6 record, not just the worst in the Central Division, but the worst in the league.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph was traded back to the Penguins

Another trade on Wednesday saw the Pittsburgh Penguins reacquire Pierre-Olivier Joseph from the St. Louis Blues for future considerations.
Joseph was selected 23rd overall in the 2017 draft, with the left-shot defenceman making his debut in 2020-21. He became a regular with the Penguins in 2022-23, scoring five goals and 21 points in 75 games, a career-high. Last season, he scored two goals and 11 points in 52 games.
After the 2023-24 season, Joseph signed a one-year, $950,000 deal with the Blues. On the same day, the Blues traded for Pierre-Olivier’s brother, Mathieu. Sadly, they only played 21 games together before Wednesday’s trade.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

Editorials

Breaking News