The New York Islanders are hedging their bets as they look to solidify their foothold on a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference this season.
On Monday, the Isles completed a rare trade with crosstown rivals, the New York Rangers, involving impending unrestricted free-agent defenceman Carson Soucy.
Islanders Land Key Piece in Soucy Trade
The Islanders landed veteran defenseman Carson Soucy from the Rangers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Emily Kaplan of ESPN confirmed the initial reports that came from The Athletic’s Vincent Mercogliano.
As Carson Soucy sits out tonight for NYR for ‘roster management’ a deal is in place to send him to Islanders as @vzmercogliano reported earlier today.
Return is a 2026 third round pick, per ESPN sources.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) January 27, 2026
The Soucy trade makes sense for the Islanders. The club is facing challenges to its blueline depth. The loss of top rearguard Alexander Romanov earlier this season has made it tough for the Isles to maintain consistency.
While the emergence of Matthew Schaefer has been a boon for the Isles, the club needs more depth. The recent injury to Ryan Pulock, among others, has forced the Islanders to roll with defenders from their AHL affiliate. Pulock missed the Isles’ game on Monday night against the Philadelphia Flyers, leading to Isaiah George getting the call.
That’s why the Soucy trade is a solid step for the Islanders to boost their depth. Soucy could slide in with another veteran, Scott Mayfield, once Pulock returns to the lineup. Without Pulock, coach Patrick Roy has lined up Mayfield with Schaefer, potentially leading Soucy to line up on the third pairing with Adam Boqvist or Isaiah George.
Isles Avoid Overpaying for Soucy
Perhaps the best part of the Soucy trade for the Islanders is the fact that they avoided overpaying. The biggest concern would have been to jettison a high draft pick or a prospect for the veteran blueliner.
Similarly, sending multiple picks for the impending UFA could have also been an overpay. Instead, parting with a third-round draft pick is not a bad price to pay for Soucy.
It’s worth pointing out that the Islanders would need to re-sign Soucy at the end of this season. If the Isles can hold onto the 31-year-old, the Carson Soucy trade will look even better for the club. Otherwise, Soucy will just go down as a cost-efficient rental for a playoff team looking to make waves in the spring.
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