The Rangers didn’t have to wait long to see traded defenseman Carson Soucy, who switched sides in their rivalry with the Islanders just in time to take part in a home-and-home series against his former team.
“That is kind of unique, I guess. That doesn’t happen very often,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said of Wednesday’s front end on Long Island. “Seuss is a great person. I think he was a good Ranger. He competed hard. He and I had a conversation, and that’s what we talked about. I enjoyed working with him, and he’s a good pro.
“This is just part of the game and the reality of where we’re at.”
The Rangers, who own the worst record in the 16-team Eastern Conference, dealt the 31-year-old Soucy to the Islanders on Monday night in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick.
He was just the first of other potential moves by general manager Chris Drury sure to follow before the March 6 trade deadline.
“I just think this is a situation where it affects players like Seuss that’s a little bit older, and Chris is obviously trying to retool this team to get us a little bit younger and more competitive here moving forward,” Sullivan added.
Sullivan was pleased with the play of forward Matt Rempe in Monday’s 4-3 overtime win over Boston, his first action in more than two weeks due to lingering effects of the left thumb injury he initially suffered in October.
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The fourth liner recorded two shots and two hits in 8:43 of ice time.
“Our medical team obviously works with him daily. They monitor his strength, his fitness, all of those things,” Sullivan said. “And then obviously, Remps has to have a comfort level of where he’s at and when he feels a lot stronger and more comfortable so that he can make an impact.
“I thought he did [Monday] night.”
