Stan Szeto-Imagn ImagesCarson Soucy will go from the visiting to the home locker room for the New York Rangers’ Wednesday night matchup against the New York Islanders.
On Monday night, the Rangers completed a trade, sending Soucy to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick.
It marked the first trade between the Rangers and Islanders since 2010, when the Rangers acquired defenseman Jyri Niemi in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
The Soucy deal was also the fourth trade between the crosstown rivals throughout the entirety of their existence, which speaks to how rare this moment truly is.
The 31-year-old forward has a 12-team no-trade clause, which he waived last season to join the Rangers from the Vancouver Canucks.
This time around, Soucy preferred to stay in the Metropolitan area due to family reasons, and Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury took those considerations into account.
“(Chris) Drury kind of did me a favor,” Soucy said about being traded to the Islanders, keeping him in New York. “It’s nice that we’re not having to move houses.”
With Drury's reputation regarding how he has handled player exits recently on rocky footing, specifically when it came to Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba’s messy departures, appeasing Soucy’s destination preference could be a way to try and salvage his reputation and re-establish trust among players.
Soucy is set to make his Islanders debut against the Rangers tonight and return to Madison Square Garden on Thursday night when the two teams face off for the second consecutive day.