Just two days after the New York Rangers acquired him from the Vancouver Canucks, Carson Soucy was in Ottawa on Saturday, playing his first game after the trade despite having just met the team and staff mere hours before taking the ice
With just a short briefing on defense pairs, systems, and how things are expected to work, the veteran defenseman went out and played a pretty solid game for the Rangers against the Senators, and even chipped in with the first goal of the game.
“Not bad, unfortunately not the win, but felt better as the game went on,” Soucy said postgame. “I think some things are just going to take a little bit of time to get used to, just systems changes. Overall, the first game I thought it felt pretty well.”
Soucy logged 15:39 TOI in the deflating 4-3 overtime loss, playing alongside Zac Jones at even strength and also getting 43 seconds of PK work. This has the potential to be a nice pairing for the Rangers, since Soucy is more of a defensive defenseman and a big body (6-foot-5, 208 pounds), while Jones is a smaller, offensively driven puck-moving defenseman.
It leads one to believe that when Adam Fox is healthy again and returns from his upper-body injury, he will pair with Soucy.
The goal Soucy scored at 8:37 of the first period wasn’t a highlight reel play, but it was a nice way for the 30-year-old to be welcomed to the Rangers. It was a weak shot from left wing that somehow trickled through Senators goalie Linus Ullmark, but it gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead and saw him mobbed afterwards by his new teammates.
Funny thing is, Soucy didn’t even know he had scored at first.
“No, I think [Alexis Lafreniere] pointed at it first,” he explained. “Honestly wasn’t too pleased with my shot originally, but just trying to get pucks on net. … It’s nice to try and help and contribute in any way. Unfortunately it’s a loss, but try and build off it.”
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Carson Soucy waived NMC to come to Rangers, push for playoffs
Soucy provides a solid boost in terms of the Rangers depth on defense as they push for a playoff spot, especially with Fox still still on IR. He was exactly what the Rangers and General Manager Chris Drury were seeking at the trade deadline, a solid left-shot defenseman that would be reliable on the back end. Though on the third pair now, he’s capable of playing bigger minutes in a top-four role.
The deal was more complicated than just trading away a third-round pick for Soucy, however. He had a no-move clause in place, and had to waive it in order to come to the Rangers. That alone speaks volumes about his desire to play for the Rangers.
“There’s definitely multiple factors,” Soucy said about waiving his NMC. “Obviously a team that wants you, wants to trade for you, is a big part of that. It’s nice having [J.T.] Miller, and [Will] Borgen here. We were pretty tight in Seattle. And obviously just New York, playing for the Rangers, playing at Madison Square Garden.”
Soucy reunited with Miller, whom he played with in Vancouver and was acquired by the Rangers in an earlier trade Jan. 31. He played extensively with Borgen in Seattle, logging over 400 minutes together as a defense pair. If coach Peter Laviolette decides to tinker with his pairings down the line, that’s a route certainly worth exploring.
For now, the goal will be helping the Rangers push for a playoff spot with the regular season coming down to the wire. The Rangers certainly didn’t do themselves any favors by blowing a two-goal lead in the third period Saturday, and eventually losing in overtime. It was their second consecutive blown third period lead, and both games resulted in OT losses and lost points in the standings.
“That last goal is pretty tough,” explained Soucy. “Just squirts through pretty much all of our guys and the goalie, so that was kind of tough. Overall I thought not a bad game.”
Soucy knows about playing big games. He was excellent for the Kraken in the 2023 playoffs and solid for the Canucks last spring. He brings 38 games of Stanley Cup Playoffs experience to the Rangers, who are seeking their fourth straight trip to the postseason.
Both Soucy and the Rangers have another crack at it on Sunday night in an even bigger matchup when they face the Columbus Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden. A win puts the Rangers ahead of both Columbus (WC2) and Ottawa (WC1) in the Eastern Conference standings.
