Rangers general manager Chris Drury recently prepared fans for roster retooling ahead of the NHL's trade deadline, and it appears the first move of their sell-off may involve their city rival as a business partner.

The Rangers and Islanders are on the brink of their first swap since 2010, with defenseman Carson Soucy listed as the target, according to multiple reports.

Soucy, who was acquired from the Canucks in exchange for a third-round pick last March, has logged eight points (three goals, five assists) across 46 games for the Rangers this season.

While the price for the 31-year-old veteran remains unclear, the Islanders -- sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 59 points -- are a banged-up group in prime position to add.

They've already seen goals leader Bo Horvat miss lengthy stretches of time with lower-body injuries, and Alexander Romanov underwent potentially season-ending shoulder surgery in November. Ryan Pulock is considered day-to-day with an upper-body issue.

A trade involving Soucy would be the Rangers' first domino to fall, with just over a month before the league's March 6 trade deadline. In his mid-January letter to the fanbase that signaled a direction shift, Drury mentioned the possibility of popular and respected players seeing the chopping block.

With the retooling in mind, stars Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Alexis Lafreniere have been mentioned in trade rumors. A change of scenery seems inevitable for Panarin, who has already been told by the Rangers he won't receive a contract extension.

"We are not going to stand pat -- a shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team," Drury wrote in his letter. "This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects."

The Rangers (21-25-6, 48 points) are currently the Metro's cellar dwellers, entering Monday's matchup against the Bruins on a three-game losing skid with a woeful 5-13-4 season record on home ice.

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