The New York Rangers bolstered their back end by acquiring veteran defenseman Carson Soucy from the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
The Rangers sent a 2025 third-round pick to Vancouver for Soucy. New York had acquired that pick, originally belonging to the San Jose Sharks, from the Vegas Golden Knights in a trade earlier in the day for forward Reilly Smith.
At 6-foot-5, Soucy is a solid physical presence who can play either side despite being a left-shot defenseman. The trade reunites him with Rangers defenseman Will Borgen, as the two previously played in a tandem with the Seattle Kraken.
Soucy waived his no-trade clause to join the Rangers. He's in the second season of a three-year deal he signed as a free agent ($3.25 million AAV), and that additional season was another selling point for the Rangers.
A source told ESPN that the Canucks had engaged with other teams about trading Soucy earlier this season.
"Carson was a big part of our success last season, helping our group take a positive step forward in the right direction," Vancouver GM Patrik Allvin said. "He is a true professional both on and off the ice and we wish him nothing but the best in New York."
Soucy didn't fit into Vancouver's long-term plans, as the Canucks look to reshape their blue line, and that could prove to be a benefit for his new club.
He comes with some term left on his deal, one more season and a $3.25 million salary cap hit, but at 30 years old, the blueliner adds stingy size to any defensive group and can play the tough minutes in either conference.
At the 4 Nations Face-Off break this season, he had two goals and eight points for the Canucks but also had 85 blocks, bringing his total to 420 for his career.
He will likely not join a power-play unit anytime soon, but he can be used in most other situations and is probably a fit on either a second- or third-line pairing.
