William Borgen is getting another shot at the NHL, agreeing to terms with the Seattle Kraken earlier today. The deal is one-way for two seasons at $900,000 per year.
Borgen Selected by Kraken, Signs
The 24-year old Borgen was a fourth-round pick by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2015 Entry Draft. He only managed to play 14 NHL games with the club before his selection by the Seattle Kraken last month. Ten of those games were this past season, where the right-handed defenceman played mostly alongside fellow rookie Jacob Bryson. Borgen is looked on as a defensive specialist, and his numbers back that up – though less in his time with Buffalo and more in his university and AHL career.
He scored just four goals 25 points in 140 games with the Rochester Americans, and even before that his university boxcars were hardly notable. Scoring 41 points in 106 NCAA games with St. Cloud State but still getting drafted shows the Sabres knew what they were getting.
Why He’s In Seattle
Borgen has yet to record an NHL point, but that obviously isn’t why the Kraken drafted him from Buffalo. But he’ll be hard-pressed to start the season with the big club. The team currently has seven defensemen under contract at the NHL level. They also have Vince Dunn and Dennis Cholowski yet to come to terms. And if it comes down to those two or William Borgen it’s not a stretch to suggest he’ll start in Charlotte. His contract is very buriable and he can continue to hone his steady play there. For now, at least.
If injuries hit or the team moves players out at the trade deadline of their first season, Borgen will be an easy call. Given the high value of right-handed defensemen, he may well be a trade target himself before the year is out.
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