After Chris Drury's letter, it was a matter of when the first domino would drop. The Rangers were going to trade players to bring in younger, pro-ready players and draft picks. That finally happened on Monday night, as the Rangers made a rare trade with the rival New York Islanders. The Rangers sent over defenseman Carson Soucy to the Islanders in exchange for a 2026 third-round draft pick.
This could be considered a win, since the Rangers acquired Soucy at last year's trade deadline in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. So, they give up a third-round pick, and get one back in return.
So, what does the Rangers' draft capital in 2026 look like so far?
Updated Rangers 2026 draft picks after trading Carson Soucy to Islanders
Here is the draft capital the Rangers have for 2026.
- Round 1 Rangers pick
- Round 1 (from Carolina Hurricanes in K'Andre Miller trade)
- Round 2 (from Carolina Hurricanes in K'Andre Miller trade)
- Round 3 Rangers pick
- Round 3 (from New York Islanders in K'Andre Miller trade)
- Round 5 Rangers pick
- Round 6 Rangers pick
- Round 7 (from Vancouver Canucks in Vitali Kravtsov trade)
This is a pretty decent stockpile so far for the Rangers. The good news is that it there should be even more draft picks added this year once more trades are made. That will allow the Rangers to have the opportunity to bring in top draft prospects and hope they pan out.
The big return the Rangers could get is for dealing star winger Artemi Panarin. After the likes of Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, and Jack Eichel all re-signed with their respective teams, Panarin is going to be the top free agent this upcoming summer. The Rangers ended contract talks with Panarin, opening the door for him to get traded. If he does, the Rangers should get a decent return for him, especially from playoff contenders. Recent reporting indicates that the Rangers are looking for a first-round pick plus a top prospect in return for Panarin. But the major factor is that Panarin carries a full no-move clause, meaning he will have to approve of a trade.
With Panarin expected to be moved before the March 6 trade deadline, eyes will be set on who else could be traded. Names like center Vincent Trocheck and defenseman Braden Schneider have popped up in trade rumors as of late. Players like goalie Igor Shesterkin, defenseman Adam Fox, center Mika Zibanejad, and captain J.T. Miller are expected to stay with the team.
The draft capital the Rangers have is only going to grow. 2026 looks loaded so far, but they could stand to look at bringing in some 2027 draft picks, as they don't currently possess a second- or fourth-round pick in that year's draft class.