Rangers Trade Kaapo Kakko: Two Other NHL Teams Who Should Trade Before Roster Freeze

The New York Rangers traded Kaapo Kakko before the NHL’s holiday trade freeze goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. local time on Thursday and lasts until 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 28.

Kakko heads to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a third-round pick and sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft.

The Rangers, which are 3-11-0 since Nov. 20, were expected to make a trade before the roster freeze. Obviously, Rangers GM Chris Drury is under huge pressure to figure out what ails his team and act to address it.

Trading Kakko seemed like the easiest trade for them to make. Kakko was surprised about being a healthy scratch on Dec. 15 against St. Louis and called it "easy" to boot a young guy out of the lineup.

The 23-year-old had been a healthy scratch before Sunday, but given the Rangers’ on-ice struggles, the Kakko trade can alter the team's chemistry, and it finally ends the rollercoaster relationship between Kakko and Rangers management.

Borgen, a 27-year-old defenseman, has a goal and an assist for two points in 33 games this season. He also has 48 hits and 37 blocked shots.

Whether the Rangers make another move remains to be seen. They can take on a large salary in almost any deal. However, there isn’t an abundance of difference-makers on the trade market, so Drury will have to be creative while staying determined to bring in someone who can contribute right away.

The Kraken, meanwhile, get a young right winger with four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 30 games this season. He has a chance to average more than 13:17 in ice time while Seattle tries to climb from sixth place in the Pacific Division and toward a playoff spot.

Related: It's Been 'Same Story' For Rangers This Season, And It's Been Significantly Subpar

The Rangers and Kraken aren't expected to be the only teams to make a trade before the roster freeze. Some squads should sell some poor fits or upgrade their roster ahead of next week.

Here are two other NHL teams that should make a trade before the calendar flips to Friday.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres have lost 11 straight games (0-8-3), and that losing streak could get worse given their next three games are against teams angling for a playoff spot (Toronto, Boston and the New York Islanders).

How much worse does it have to get for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams to make a significant roster move?

Whether it’s making a blockbuster trade involving youngster Dylan Cozens or acquiring more help, such as Leafs center David Kampf or Flyers centers Morgan Frost or Scott Laughton, the Sabres have to do something to shake up their team. It’s not about adding draft picks or prospects at this stage of Buffalo’s decline. It’s about bringing in experienced NHL-caliber talent to increase the team’s overall level of play exponentially. And the Sabres' cap situation would allow them to acquire a veteran to stem the bleeding in Western New York.

The Sabres just can’t afford to sit still and embrace the status quo. No more excuses, and no more patience for this team. While he still has his job, Adams has to send a message to his room that the new calendar year is going to be different in tone and expectation. That starts with a deal that sends more than a small ripple throughout his organization before being stuck with who they have for next week.

Related: Three Big Steps The Buffalo Sabres Could Do To Get Back On Track

Vancouver Canucks

There have been some wild trade rumors involving the Canucks of late, including star center Elias Pettersson and veteran J.T. Miller. We don’t think for a second that either Pettersson or Miller will be moved.

However, Vancouver still could make a move of note, with Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reporting the Canucks are looking for a defenseman while Filip Hronek is injured. Perhaps that means bringing in veteran defenseman Ivan Provorov from the Columbus Blue Jackets, which Rick Dhaliwal also suggested.

Another move involving a D-man could be a trade that sends Vincent Desharnais out of town, as Desharnais has proven to be a poor fit since signing with Vancouver last summer.

The Canucks are also reportedly still in the hunt for a winger, but their cap situation has them with only $1.91 million in cap space. That means any trade is almost assuredly going to be a money-in, money-out type of deal. But as the Canucks fight to rise to the top of the Pacific Division, they’ve got plenty of motivation to swing a swap to improve the overall quality of their lineup.

Vancouver is the best team on this list, but the Canucks still could use an ingestion of new blood before the holiday roster freeze and start the remainder of the regular season with a re-jigged roster. They should be moving quickly to change their lineup before the holiday break, which means dealing someone for veteran help.

Related: Thatcher Demko’s Re-Entry Is A Process — For Him And The Canucks

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