The New York Rangers are on the verge of trading defenseman Carson Soucy to the Islanders, two league sources told The Athletic. Joe Hrycych / Getty Images
NEW YORK — The New York Rangers are on the verge of trading defenseman Carson Soucy to the New York Islanders, two league sources told The Athletic. The 6-foot-4 Soucy, a left shot, is a defensive-minded defenseman capable of helping a contender in a bottom-four role.
The Rangers’ return for Soucy has not yet been confirmed. The trade has yet to be formally announced or processed by the NHL as the teams finalize the details, with one source indicating that the 31-year-old is expected to be held out of Monday night’s game for roster management purposes. New York is scheduled to host the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden.
New York acquired Soucy from Vancouver at the 2025 trade deadline in hopes of being a contender for the playoffs in the 2025-26 season. That hasn’t happened. The Rangers are last in the Eastern Conference, and president and general manager Chris Drury recently sent a letter to fans announcing the club was entering a “retool.”
“Not totally surprised, just kind of where we’re at,” Soucy said Jan. 20 when asked about the team’s direction. “More disappointed that I think we’ve underachieved this year.”
The Rangers sent the Canucks the San Jose Sharks’ 2025 third-round pick (acquired in a previous trade with the Vegas Golden Knights), which turned out to be No. 65. His additional year of term at a $3.25 million cap hit presumably boosted the price New York had to pay.
Soucy has eight points in 46 games this season and has had a positive Defensive Rating, per colleague Dom Luszczyszyn’s model. The Rangers were counting on him bouncing back after a difficult end to his Vancouver tenure, and he has, for the most part, been solid in 2025-26.
The Islanders have been one of the surprises of the NHL this season and are currently third in the Metro. In Soucy, first-year general manager Mathieu Darche will get a defensive reinforcement on the left side. Alexander Romanov has been out since November with right shoulder surgery that was expected to sideline him for five to six months.
The Soucy deal will be only the fourth between the Rangers and Islanders in the clubs’ history and the first since 2010.
