The NY Islanders have acquired Carson Soucy from the NY Rangers

A trade between the NY Islanders and NY Rangers isn’t something we see often, but the two managed to work out a deal today, as the Islanders have acquired Carson Soucy for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft.

Soucy, 31, was acquired by the Rangers in March from the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick. Signing a three-year deal in 2023 with a $3.25M AAV, Soucy is scheduled to hit the open market in July.

The NY Islanders have traded for defenseman Carson Soucy

Through 46 games this season with the Rangers who currently sit in last place in the Eastern Conference, Soucy has recorded three goals and five assists, and is second on the team with a +4 rating.

Last week, Rangers GM Chris Drury put out a letter similar to the one by John Davidson a few years earlier, stating the team is open for business while trying to retool the roster, as Soucy is the first domino to fall.

The Islanders have had a rotating door on the left side of the blue line since Alexander Romanov’s shoulder injury in November. On Wednesday night against the Seattle Kraken, Ryan Pulock suffered an upper-body injury and is currently listed as day-to-day. But perhaps Pulock’s injury will be longer-term, forcing Mathieu Darche’s hand to bring in a veteran left-handed defenseman.

Soucy, a 6'4" defensice defenseman, adds some needed size to the Islanders' defensive corps. While he doesn't add much offensively, he'll be deployed on the PK unit, especially in Pulock's absence.

The Islanders and Rangers have made just three trades since the Isles' first season in 1972, with two occurring in the Isles' inaugural season. On June 8, 1972, the Islanders acquired a seventh and eighth round pick to not select certain Rangers during the expansion draft. The second came five months later when the Isles sent cash to the Rangers for Ron Stewart. The most recent was in 2010, when the Isles sent prospect Jyri Niemi to Manhattan for a sixth-round pick. 

A third-round pick may seem like a high price to pay for Soucy, but typically, only about 14% of third-round picks become impactful NHL players. Darche saw a need and acted on it.

Soucy will likely be making his Islanders debut on Wednesday night against his former team, in the first of a back-to-back with the Rangers.