The Islanders rebounded from a blah road trip and a worse return home by shutting out the Flyers — with a goal from each special team! — but the most interesting news of the day was confirmation that they were making a trade…with the {plugs nose} Rangers, of all teams. They acquired pending UFA defenseman Carson Soucy for a 2026 third-round pick, an interesting move for a few reasons:
In the “sell, or compete?” debate on whether to reward a team that has exceeded expectations, Mathieu Darche effectively answers it with: We’ll fill the injury hole, but not at a crazy price. A third-round pick is modest, but effectively a premium for doing the deal now rather than at the deadline. However, you hope the news for right-side D-man Ryan Pulock is truly just “day to day” rather than something more serious to prompt this reinforcement.
I’m in the camp of enjoying this season’s surprises while not hoping they spend too much on trying to beef this team up for a playoff push, but solidifying the blueline at this price is a reasonable move. It’ll be fun to watch to see if Soucy makes a difference.
There would not seem to be roster room to re-sign him even if he loves it and things work out great, so this probably becomes only a short-term marriage of convenience. Plus, Soucy gets to enjoy a few months of playing in front of a better goalie. He is a short-term Ranger — acquired last year for a third-round pick — so the Stench of Ranger should be mild for him.
Hey Carson, come with us — however this goes, you’re certain to enjoy a more fun locker room than that toxic stew Drury’s got going on Short Island.
Last night’s other NHL scores included just three other games, including the Rangers beating the Bruins in a three-point game, and an Oilers defenseman hat trick.