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

Kakko is going to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The Rangers, who are 3-11-0 since Nov. 20, were expected to make a trade before the roster freeze. Clearly, Rangers GM Chris Drury is under a lot of pressure to figure out what his team’s problems are and take steps to fix them.

Trading with Kakko seemed like the easiest trade for her. Kakko was surprised he was a healthy player against St. Louis on Dec. 15, calling it “easy” to leave a young man out of the lineup.

The 23-year-old was a healthy scratch before Sunday, but given the Rangers’ on-ice struggles, the Kakko transfer can change the team’s chemistry and finally end the roller coaster relationship between Kakko and Rangers management.

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

It remains to be seen whether the Rangers will make another move. You can accept a high salary in almost any business. However, there aren’t many decision makers in the trade market, so Drury will have to be creative while remaining committed to bringing in someone who can contribute immediately.

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

Related: It’s been ‘same old’ for the Rangers this season, and it’s been well below par

The Rangers and Kraken are not expected to be the only teams to make a trade before the roster freeze. Some teams should sell some bad fits or update their roster before next week.

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

Buffalo saber

The Sabers have lost 11 games in a row (0-8-3), and that losing streak could get even worse considering that their next three games come against teams fighting for a playoff spot (Toronto, Boston and the New York Islanders).

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

Whether it’s making a blockbuster trade with youngster Dylan Cozens or bringing in more help like Leafs center David Kampf or Flyers centers Morgan Frost or Scott Laughton, the Sabers need to do something to shake up her team. This phase of Buffalo’s decline isn’t about adding draft picks or prospects. It’s about signing experienced NHL talent to exponentially increase the team’s overall level of play. And the Sabers’ cap situation would allow them to acquire a veteran to stem the bleeding in Western New York.

The Sabers simply cannot afford to sit still and accept the status quo. No more excuses and no more patience for this team. While he still has his job, Adams needs to send a message to his room that the new calendar year will be different in terms of tone and expectations. That starts with a deal that sends more than a small ripple throughout his organization before he decides who he has next week.

Related: Three big moves the Buffalo Sabers could make to get back on track

Vancouver Canucks

There have been some wild trade rumors about the Canucks recently, including star center Elias Pettersson and veteran JT Miller. We don’t believe for a second that Pettersson or Miller will move.

However, Vancouver could still make a notable move as Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that the Canucks are looking for a defenseman while Filip Hronek is injured. Maybe that means signing veteran defenseman Ivan Provorov from the Columbus Blue Jackets, something Rick Dhaliwal has 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 looking for a winger, but their cap situation means they only have $1.91 million in cap space. This means that any trade will almost certainly be a money-in, money-out trade. But as the Canucks fight to climb to the top of the Pacific Division, they have plenty of motivation to make a move to improve the overall quality of their lineup.

Vancouver is the best team on this list, but the Canucks could still use an infusion of youth before the roster freezes for the holidays and begin the rest of the regular season with a rebuilt roster. They’ll want to make quick changes to their lineup before the holidays, which means they’ll need to assign someone for experienced help.

Related: Thatcher Demko’s re-entry is a process – for him and the Canucks

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