The Boston Bruins’ biggest move on July 1 was not a free agent signing but a trade with the New York Rangers that landed Will Borgen. 

The Bruins paid a second- and conditional third-round pick to the Rangers to add depth behind Charlie McAvoy on the right side of the blue line. Boston is the fourth stop in Borgen’s NHL career, and Marco Sturm is Borgen’s fifth coach in the last four years. The 6-foot-3 defenseman is no stranger to a new system and new voices, even if adjusting takes some time.

“Yeah, plenty [of differences],” Borgen said Saturday. “It’s always like, I mean, it’s similar in a lot of senses to something I’ve done before, but yeah, a couple of things new, and it’s always hard a little bit to change what you did last and get used to it again.”

He added that adjusting to the new system is “a little bit” of a challenge, but pointed to the preseason games as an opportunity to get a feel for it. Borgen will not play in Sunday’s game against Washington, and under the new CBA, he is limited to two preseason games. 

Sturm paired Borgen with Hampus Lindholm for the first three days of camp and has stuck with that pairing so far. Lindholm, now entering his sixth season in Boston, has been a sounding board for Borgen as the 29-year-old defenseman adjusts to a new team. 

“Great. Yeah, I mean, special player and I’ve been asking him a lot of questions,” Borgen said about Lindholm. “He’s helped me out, whether it’s systems, what they do here, and yeah, just trying to build a little chemistry with the guys here.”

It’s only been three days of training camp, and Borgen knows there is still work to do in building chemistry with his defensive partner. That’s not too much of a concern for him, and playing with Lindholm makes it that much easier. 

“When you’re playing with a really good player, it’s pretty easy,” Borgen said. “Sure, you build the chemistry over time, but it’s not hard.”

Marco Sturm is a fan. He said that Borgen made a “huge impact” after the first session, and he was impressed with the defense as a whole. There are still elements of the Bruins’ system that are new to Borgen, but the bench boss likes how quickly he is adjusting.

“I think pretty good. He’s a smart guy. You can tell right away,” Sturm said Saturday. “There’s a few things he’s never played that way, but he has a good guy right beside him with Hampus. You know, he likes to talk. He’s answering all his questions right now, and the guys are helping out too. He doesn’t look out of place. He actually looks really, really good.”

Marco Sturm on Will Borgen: 

“I think pretty good. He’s a smart guy. You can tell right away. There’s a few things he’s never played that way, but he has a good guy right beside him with Hampus. You know, he likes to talk. He’s answering all his questions right now and the guys… pic.twitter.com/QCjgk8JuBC

— Jack Studley (@jackstudley13) September 19, 2026

Borgen is not known for his offense, and that’s not why the Bruins brought him in. He said he focuses “more on the defensive side of things,” and prioritizes moving the puck up quickly. He is expected to take on a top-four role on the blue line and help lessen Charlie McAvoy’s load on the penalty kill. Borgen is under contract through the 2029-30 season with a $4.1 million cap hit.

“The first three days so far, I’m very happy with him,” Sturm said. “I really believe he’s gonna be a big presence for our team.”

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