NHL Trade Grades for Rangers-Islanders Carson Soucy Deal

If the Rangers' trade deadline activity is shaping up to be a fireworks show, then they have lit the first sparkler. It's not the big flash-bang we're all anticipating, but it's a sign of what's to come.

Carson Soucy, a depth defenseman who is an unrestricted free agent, was the low-hanging fruit for predicting which Rangers would be out the door as part of a "retool." The big surprise is that the New York Islanders are the acquiring team.

It's the first trade between the two rivals since 2010 and the first time an active NHL player has been traded from one team to the other since 1972.

What does it say about the Islanders that they're proactive buyers ahead of the deadline? Did the Rangers get commensurate value for Soucy? Let's break down the move for both New York sides.

New York Islanders

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The Islanders are unexpectedly in the playoff mix, third in the Metropolitan Division.

That's largely on the back of the best goaltending in the NHL from mostly Ilya Sorokin and a collapse of the conference's perceived middle-class teams, but it's created an opportunity for the Islanders to be something of a (lowercase-b) buyer.

The Islanders' blueline is thin. Specifically with injuries to Alex Romanov (season-ending) and Ryan Pulock (timeline tbd). Matthew Schaefer is as good as any 18-year-old defenseman the league has seen in years, but he needs support on the left side.

Carson Soucy doesn't change the outlook on Long Island, but he adds some support.

The 6'4" defenseman is rough to watch with the puck on his stick, but he is a strong neutral-zone defender who can make it tough for forwards to enter the offensive zone with possession.

The 31-year-old is also a capable penalty killer. He's a third-pairing defenseman but one who can at least give Schaefer a bit of a buffer and eat minutes. Certainly, he'll do it better than the Islanders' current options in Adam Boqvist and Isaiah George.

Grade: B

New York Rangers

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Soucy did his job as a Ranger. He did a commensurate job as a neutral-zone defender and penalty killer.

Consider, though, what his tenure with the Rangers represents. GM Chris Drury somewhat perplexingly acquired Soucy from Vancouver amid a total team teardown at the 2025 trade deadline, swapping out San Jose's 65th-overall pick, the first pick of the third round.

Soucy is a fine player, but the depth defenseman was helpless to fix the team's bigger problems. Now the Rangers have moved him to UBS Arena for the Islanders' 2026 third-round pick, one that is a full year later and projects to fall in the 75-80 range.

Is that difference in value going to make-or-break the Rangers' "retool"? Probably not. The entire experience still stands out as everything that's wrong with the organization's decision-making. A lack of vision that leads to acquiring a player who doesn't fit the team's window, and then trading him at a loss.

In any case, a third-round pick is adequate value for UFA rental Soucy, though one does wonder if the Rangers could have milked a second pick out of the Islanders or another team between now and the March 6 deadline.

Grade: B-