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Penguins division rivals set to finalize a trade that could affect Pittsburgh
Photo credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Carson Soucy to the New York Islanders is reportedly brewing, and the New York Rangers' retool could hit the Penguins fast.
It is not official yet, but the Rangers are reportedly holding Soucy out tonight for roster management.
That is the kind of "paperwork first, announcement later" move that usually means a trade call is close.
For Pittsburgh, it is the division math that matters, not the zip code drama.
Two Metro rivals getting tougher or cleaner cap-wise always ripples into the Penguins' lane.
Here's the report that kicked it off.
Soucy is 31, a 2013 fifth-round pick by the Minnesota Wild, and he plays a heavy, simple game on the blue line.
He also brings a known cap hit, $3.25 million, which can change the deadline market in a hurry.
If the Islanders add him, they are basically telling the room they are still pushing, not drifting.
That matters for the Penguins because the wild-card race is usually decided by who steals points inside the division.
Carson Soucy squeezes New York Rangers and New York Islanders
Pens fans are going to hate this, because it feels like one rival selling and the other buying without either getting weaker.
From the Islanders' side, Soucy is the kind of third-pair stabilizer who can survive playoff-style shifts in their own end.
He wins wall battles, clears the front, and lets their puck movers breathe.
From the Rangers' side, flipping him signals the "retool" talk is real, and more names could follow.
If New York stacks futures, that is ammo for later trades, and the Penguins have seen that movie before.
Either way, it is another reminder that the Metro never gives you a quiet week.
If this gets finalized, Pittsburgh's next head-to-head stretch with either club suddenly feels a little heavier.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 26|213 ANSWERS Penguins division rivals set to finalize a trade that could affect Pittsburgh Should the Pittsburgh Penguins worry about Carson Soucy joining the New York Islanders? | ||
| Yes | 39 | 18.3 % |
| No | 174 | 81.7 % |
| List of polls | ||