Mike Sullivan breaks silence on NY Rangers historic trade with NY Islanders

Amid a dramatic NHL season under Mike Sullivan, the New York Rangers have completed a historic trade with the New York Islanders, sending defenseman Carson Soucy to Long Island. In return, the Broadway Blueshirts acquired a third-round pick in the 2026 Draft.

When the Rangers said they were open for business, they clearly meant it. Amid a rough 2025-26 campaign, the Broadway Blueshirts sent veteran blueliner Soucy to the rival Islanders. Now, Sullivan set the record straight about the bold move.

“[Soucy] is a great person. He was a good Ranger. 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,” Sullivan admitted about the move, via New York Post’s Mollie Walker.

Historic deal in New York

In more ways than one, it was a history-setting move in the league. Soucy’s move to Long Island was just the fourth trade between the two New York franchises in NHL history.

Carson Soucy has been traded to the Islanders

The last time both organizations agreed on a trade was in May 2010, when Jyri Niemi was sent to the Rangers for a sixth-round selection. More than 15 years later, the hotline between the teams in Manhattan and Long Island finally rang again.

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Islanders vs. Rangers

Not long after Soucy packed his bags and made the short trip from Madison Square Garden to UBS Arena, the blueliner will reunite with his former teammates on the ice. The Islanders and Rangers will clash in a back-to-back, home-and-home series.

Surprisingly, the two sides arrive to the date quite differently than expected coming into the season. The Blueshirts expected to be in a better spot, whereas the Isles may have never believed they’d be sitting on a playoff spot.

However, when these two teams meet, all tags are lost. No matter how they enter the game, anything can happen. That’s what makes rivalries so great, and what has led the Rangers and Islanders to engage in just four trades among themselves in league history.