The New York Rangers completed their first trade of this suppressive retool on Monday night, sending Carson Soucy to the New York Islanders in exchange for a third-round pick.

With Soucy set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and the Rangers’ playoff hopes dwindling by each passing game, it was only inevitable that the team would eventually trade the veteran defenseman.

Mike Sullivan opened up about the trade for the first time after Tuesday’s practice.

“Souce is a great person. He was a good Ranger,” Sullivan said. “He competed hard. Him and I had a conversation, that's what we talked about. I really enjoyed working with him. He's a good pro. This is just part of the game and the reality of where we’re at.”

When the Blueshirts acquired Soucy from the Vancouver Canucks during the 2024-25 season, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury had a different vision for Soucy, believing he could be a long-term piece for the franchise.

“He's not a rental,” Drury said of Soucy last season. “He’s someone we could have in for the rest of the year and next year. I just like the overall game – the size, the skating, the sense, how he defends. We were able to do some homework on him the last couple weeks and we’re excited to get him.”

That mindset shifted after Drury issued a letter on Jan. 16 outlining the team’s plan to retool the roster and essentially punting on the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign in order to focus on the future.

Rangers Reportedly Acquire Third-Round Pick In Exchange For Carson Soucy A reported trade between the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> and New York Islanders is all but official.

Soucy is only the first domino to fall, as we could see a flurry of deals made by the Rangers leading up to the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline.

The Rangers will play the Islanders on both Wednesday and Thursday, after a rare trade between the two teams.

Mike Sullivan Says Carson Soucy Trade Took Place Due To ‘Reality Of Where We’re At’