Tag: appreciation

Not exactly the sexiest or flashiest move of Chris Drury’s GM tenure, Will Borgen has been a huge get for Drury and the New York Rangers. He has not put of the flashy numbers Kaapo Kakko has since the trade to Seattle, but Borgen has been huge within his own right for the Rangers, adding a much needed steady presence to a blue line that desperately needed it.

One of the biggest issues for the New York Rangers this year has been finding a stabilizing force on the second defense pair since the departure of Jacob Trouba. Trouba and K’Andre Miller had been a nightmare for the Blueshirts going back to last season. Mostly due to the fact that the Rangers had asked Trouba to be a player that he wasn’t and that’s a shutdown d-man to go with a partner who’s more offensive minded in K’Andre Miller.

After the Trouba trade to the Ducks it opened up a spot for someone to walk in and grab that spot. Several days after the Trouba trade Drury found his answer in the addition of Will Borgen.

Unbelievably, Borgen had struggled getting into games for Seattle this year, which helped Drury zero in on him in the Kakko deal. He’s stepped in and grabbed the proverbial brass ring that was left in Trouba’s wake and he’s been nothing more than a huge breath of fresh air.

One of the biggest plusses that Borgen has brought is that he has stabilized the game of K’Andre Miller. This year and last year it almost felt like Miller was trying to force plays. He may have been overcompensating, and though he’s not perfect defensively, having a true stay at home partner in the right role has helped Miller’s game as well.

Borgen–and Urho Vaakanainen–has brought the Rangers an overall defensive revival for a team that had been struggling defending at even strength all year long. He’s also done a great job with his zone exits, which is something that this team has long struggled with and was their undoing against Florida. It’s been refreshing to see a Rangers defenseman avoid the glass and out turnover.

Borgen has simplified the Ranger zone exit strategy, holding onto the puck and even circling back into the zone if there no solid breakout options available. This Rangers team thrives on puck control, and having a defensive group that starts successful breakouts is absolutely vital to this team’s success.

Another underrated skill in Will Borgen’s arsenal is his ability to be able to get pucks on net from the point. Going from the Trouba bombs to Borgen’s ability to get pucks through sticks and bodies is also pivotal in driving offense and keeping puck control. Borgen may not have a shot like Ray Bourque, but it’s seemingly always on target and helps create secondary opportunities for other Rangers forwards.

Sometimes it’s not always about the flashy or sexy moves that need to be made in order to help turn a team around. The quiet and silent moves more often than not prove to be the most vital and pay the biggest dividends. This isn’t Drury’s first rodeo with low key additions, as he added Justin Braun, Andrew Copp, and Tyler Motte at the trade deadline a few years ago, leading to a fun run to the Eastern Conference Final. Will Borgen fits this mold.

Will Borgen has had a tremendous start to his Rangers career and has helped turned this team around after a December to forget. There’s a long way to go, but it’s getting shorter by the day, as the Rangers are now one point out of a wild card spot. They are making us believe again, and Borgen has been a key cog in the revival.