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Summary of the Trade: Carson Soucy to the New York islanders
The New York Rangers are trading defenseman Carson Soucy to the New York islanders. The trade is reportedly “deep in talks” as of 12:20 PM, but if it doesn’t finalize today, Soucy will be scratched from the Rangers’ game tonight against the Bruins to avoid potential injury. This would effectively signal the end of his time with the Rangers nonetheless.
Key Details:
* Player: Carson Soucy
* Position: Defenseman (Left-handed,but versatile – can play right)
* Age: 31
* Current contract: Final year of a 3-year,$9.75MM deal ($3.25MM AAV). He is only owed $2.5MM in actual salary this season due to the contract being frontloaded.
* Acquired by Rangers: Via trade from the Vancouver Canucks last season (waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the deal).
* Previous Teams: Minnesota Wild (drafted 5th round, 2013), Seattle Kraken (via expansion draft 2021), Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers.
* Rangers Response: The Rangers recalled Connor Mackey (a veteran blueliner) and sent Anton Blidh (spare forward) down to the AHL affiliate (Hartford Wolf Pack) to adjust their roster for the departure of Soucy. This gives them a seventh defenseman on the active roster.
Soucy’s Performance & Role:
* Shutdown defender: Primarily a defensive defenseman.
* Recent Performance (2023-24): 8 points and a +4 rating in 46 games. However,underlying stats are concerning.
* Underlying Stats (Concerning):
* His most frequent 5-on-5 pairings (with William Borgen and braden Schneider) have controlled a team-worst 42.4% of expected goals.
* 43.8% Corsi share at even strength (lowest among Rangers defenders, despite easier deployment).
* Past Success: Was a strong two-way player for Seattle, with a career year in 2021-22 (10 goals, 21 points in 64 games).
* Physicality: Averages 101 blocks and 129 hits per 82 games.
islanders’ Motivation:
* Need for Left Defense: The Islanders are looking to stabilize their third-pairing left defense position, which has been filled by AHL call-ups (Isaiah george, Travis Mitchell, Marshall Warren) due to injuries.
* Injury Situation:
* Alexander Romanov (high-paid shutdown threat) is out for virtually the entire season with a shoulder injury.
* ryan Pulock is currently dealing with an upper-body injury.
* Playoff Push: The Islanders are aiming for a playoff berth in Matthew Schaefer’s first year as coach.
* Versatility: Soucy’s ability to play both left and right defense is a benefit.
* Cap Versatility: The contract structure (frontloaded salary) is favorable for the Islanders’ budget.
trade History:
* This would be the first trade between the Rangers and Islanders as 2010 and only the fourth all-time.
Verification & Notes:
* Vince Mercogliano (The Athletic): Cited as a source, lending credibility to the reporting.
* MoneyPuck.com: Used for statistical analysis,a reputable hockey analytics site.
* Contract Details: The contract information ($9.75MM total, $3.25MM AAV, $2.5MM salary this season) appears consistent with publicly available NHL contract data.
* injury Reports: The injuries to Romanov and Pulock have been widely reported by multiple sources.
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