Will Borgen has been one of the Boston Bruins‘ more underrated yet essential impact players so far in 2026-27.
Some categories create more controversy than others. For Borgen, that is definitely the case regarding his plus-minus. Through 18 games, his plus-18 is the fifth-highest in the league and the highest among all NHL players not wearing an Edmonton Oilers uniform.
Say what you will about individual plus-minus, but Borgen’s recent comments highlighting the metric drive home an important point. Via Jack Studley of Boston Hockey Now, Borgen said, “I think plus-minus is more of a team stat…”
Considering how high-octane the Oilers are this season and the fact that four of them are ahead of Borgen, he makes a good point. It is also worth noting that six Bruins players are in the NHL’s top 50 in plus-minus. Three of those players enter Tuesday in the top 25, and five are in the top 35.
Will Borgen’s Remarkable Numbers Put Him Among NHL Leaders
Regardless of what one thinks about the plus-minus, it shouldn’t take away from Borgen’s overall impact. He has never been a point producer, notching a career-high of 25 points in 2023-24 with the Seattle Kraken.
Borgen, though, has been incredible in helping the Bruins create at even strength. His 45.7 Corsi For Percentage is one of the lower marks of his career. But consider the fact that he is taking 37.6 percent of his starts in the offensive zone, and it reveals two things:
One, his defensive game is incredible. Two, he’s doing his part getting the puck over the neutral zone so the Bruins can go to work offensively. And he is pitching in, even if he hasn’t helped Boston finish sequences.
So far in 2026-27, Boston has scored 67 goals. Borgen has been on the ice at even strength for 22 of them. That has given him a 16.2 on-ice shooting percentage. Borgen also has a 96.9 on-ice save percentage, having seen just four goals go into Boston’s net at even strength.
Considering Borgen’s role with the team, and that he has only produced four points this season, it provides more evidence for his take that plus-minus is a team metric.
Bruins Defenseman Has Already Surpassed Previous Career High
Borgen’s plus-minus stat also shows that Boston is the right fit for him. If he wasn’t at plus-18 and helping teammates rack up goals and assists, he wouldn’t have already surpassed his previous career high of 11 back in 2022-23.
Now, he could always backslide to the median, but that would take a collective slump from Boston’s scorers. For a team that takes advantage of opponents’ weaknesses so well early in 2026-27, it is hard to picture anyone stopping Boston in the foreseeable future.
Therefore, Borgen and Co. have a good chance to extend their productive play as 2026-27 nears the end of its first quarter. As for Borgen’s metric? There is a good chance he will shatter that previous career-high. But expect him to credit the entire team if that is ultimately the case.
Bruins’ Will Borgen Among NHL’s Best in Noisy Category