Why did the New York Islanders acquire Carson Soucy?

"Soucy cost the blue and orange a third round pick and has a much higher cap hit than Zamula, so why would the Islanders do this? The cap hit doesn't matter. The Islanders have four players on LTIR and have plenty of money available. Soucy is a more reliable defenseman than Zamula, and gives the team a solidified option for its third pair on the left side. He is physical and can play the penalty kill, but most importantly he can eat minutes."

"The Islanders have struggled to have any of the defensemen they've called up average 15 minutes a game. With Matthew Schaefer averaging over 24 minutes a night, a player like Soucy can lessen his workload. In his first game with the Islanders Soucy had a total time on ice of 16:38, considering he was traded two days prior that number will only increase."

Carson Soucy was acquired from the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick to shore up the Islanders' third-pair left defense. Yegor Zamula was a recent waiver/comparable option but is now with Columbus after a contract termination in Pittsburgh. The Islanders carry four players on LTIR and possess cap flexibility, making Soucy's higher salary manageable. Soucy offers physical play, penalty-kill ability and the capacity to eat minutes, which can reduce Matthew Schaefer's workload (Schaefer averages over 24 minutes). Soucy logged 16:38 in his first game and appears able to replace the injured Alexander Romanov as a steady third-pair option.

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