Carson Soucy is changing boroughs.
The defenceman has been traded from the New York Rangers to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2026 third-round draft pick on Monday.
Soucy, 31, has spent the past two seasons with the Rangers and has three goals and eight points in 46 games this year.
Soucy is a pending unrestricted free agent and will be a rental addition for the Islanders, who have shifted into contending mode in GM Mathieu Darche’s first season in charge. No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer emerging as a young star and the rookie of the year front-runner raised the organization’s expectations, and making the playoffs in a wide-open Eastern Conference is now a realistic expectation.
The opposite is the case for the Rangers, who are now surprise sellers. Underachieving in Mike Sullivan’s first season as coach prompted a change of course for general manager Chris Drury, who got a multiyear contract extension from owner James Dolan in April and is getting the chance to fix a flawed roster.
In a letter to fans posted on social media Jan. 16, Drury said the team would not stand pat and that “a shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool as a team.”
“This will not be a rebuild,” Drury said. “This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects. We will target players that bring tenacity, speed, skill and a winning pedigree with a focus obtaining young players, draft picks and cap space to allow us flexibility moving forward.”
The Rangers sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings at 22-25-6 after winning in overtime on Monday night, while the Islanders are third in the Metropolitan Division at 28-19-5.