Securing Carson Soucy stabilizes the blue line. While losing a pick stings, a deep prospect pool and future assets ensure the Islanders' long-term strength.
On Monday night, the New York Islanders traded their 2026 third-round pick to the New York Rangers in exchange for left-side defenseman Carson Soucy.
On the surface, the Rangers were able to break even on a player whom they acquired for a third-round pick from the Vancouver Canucks, when Soucy had a season and a half left on his contract.
Call that a win for the Rangers, as Soucy, outside of Artemi Panarin, was their most valuable pending unrestricted free agent.
For the Islanders, they are hoping that Soucy stabalizes their backend. Since Alexander Romanov went down with a regular-season-ending right shoulder injury on Nov. 18, his spot in the lineup has been a revolving door of Bridgeport Islanders' blue-line depth, along with seventh defenseman Adam Boqvist, who had been playing on his off-side.
Was it a bit of an overpay by the Islanders? Sure. Is it a problem? Absolutely not.
The reality of the situation right now is that the Islanders are not only without their 2026 third-round pick, but they are also without their 2026 second-round pick, which was attached to Josh Bailey, who had one season left at $5 million annually, in the deal that sent him to the Chicago Blackhawks on Day 2 of the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville.
However, the Islanders do have two first-round picks this draft year: their own and the Colorado Avalanche's first-round pick from the Brock Nelson deal. That first is essentially a second-round pick, with Colorado currently leading the NHL in points with 79 -- the second closest is the Tampa Bay Lightning with 70.
Had the Islanders not bolstered their prospect pool last summer, adding forward Victor Eklund, Daniil Prokhorov, Luca Romano, and Tomas Poletin, along with defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson through the first four rounds, then, sure, complain away about sending picks for rentals.
No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer is no longer considered a prospect.
However, the Islanders added those guys to a prospect pool that already has a strong foundation, with forwards Cole Eiserman, Quinn Finley, Danny Nelson & Kamil Bednarik, along with defenseman Jesse Pulkkinen and Isaiah George on the blue line.
They'll be okay, especially if Soucy's able to help enough to keep the Islanders in a playoff spot.
If the Islanders remain in a playoff spot by the trade deadline, they aren't likely to sell.
But, if first-year general manager Mathieu Darche did sell off players, getting back that third-round pick won't be a challenge -- he can probably do much better.