Rangers Return Mackey to Hartford, Soucy Expected Back Soon

Connor Mackey has become the Rangers' most-traveled defenseman this season without ever playing a game for them. Recalled from Hartford on Jan. 16 to cover for Carson Soucy's absence due to personal reasons, Mackey sat in the press box as a healthy scratch during New York's 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 17, then was promptly reassigned to the Wolf Pack the same day. The move likely indicated that Soucy would be joining the Rangers for their upcoming California road trip, with Soucy expected to link up with the team at some point during the trip, though he was not an option against the Flyers.

The transaction was Mackey's fourth recall of the season, yet he had still not logged a single minute for New York. In 32 games with Hartford at the time of the Jan. 17 reassignment, the 29-year-old left-shot defenseman had posted two goals, seven points, and 54 penalty minutes. That comes on the heels of a full 2024-25 campaign in which he appeared in 66 games for the Wolf Pack, putting up six goals, 18 assists, 24 points, and 102 penalty minutes. In three scoreless games with the Rangers since the start of the 2023-24 season, he has averaged 16:14 of ice time per game, a serviceable number that reflects his value as a depth option who simply hasn't been needed in the lineup.

Mackey is in the final year of a two-year, $1.55 million contract, per reporting from ProHockeyRumors, which gives this season's shuttle dynamic an additional layer: each recall is another look at a pending UFA on a rebuilding club that already knows where it stands. The reassignment came on the same day GM Chris Drury published a letter to the Rangers' fan base announcing a retooling of the roster; New York was last in the Eastern Conference at the time with 50 points, and Drury wrote that the team would "not stand pat." Soucy was subsequently traded to the New York Islanders for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, closing the door on the Mackey-as-Soucy-insurance arrangement entirely.

With Soucy gone, Mackey returned to Hartford and rebuilt his statistical case. The New York Rangers, with the playoffs out of the picture, have been in a position to get a better look at their future. By March 19, Mackey had appeared in 52 games for the Wolf Pack this season with 15 points on five goals and 10 assists, and the Wolf Pack recalled him to New York after he scored three points, including a goal, across two wins over the Charlotte Checkers on March 17 and 18, helping Hartford move within two points of a playoff spot.

That recalled came directly from GM Chris Drury and reflected the broader blue-line shuffling happening in New York. Defenseman Drew Fortescue signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Rangers on March 21, 2026, after his Boston College season ended. Head coach Mike Sullivan said he envisions Fortescue "playing some games moving forward" and praised the 90th overall pick's skating and defensive capability as his core strength. Fortescue was not in the lineup for the March 23 matchup with Ottawa, as Sullivan indicated the rookie needed to get some practices with the team before making his career debut.

Mackey's career AHL totals across three seasons in Hartford now stand at 162 games and 50 points on 13 goals and 37 assists. His broader NHL résumé spans 42 games with the Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, and Calgary Flames, where he has scored 11 points. For a player who has spent the season shuttling between Hartford and a New York press box, a May playoff run with the Wolf Pack may be the more meaningful opportunity still ahead.