The Vancouver Canucks have signed defenseman Carson Soucy to a three-year deal worth $3.25 million a season. Being one of the biggest name defensemen in this free-agent class, it’s no surprise Soucy was given a contract. After a three-goal, 13-assist performance through 78 games with the Seattle Kraken last season, Soucy was involved in trade rumors and seemed destined for a new team. At 28 years old and with 250 games under his belt, Soucy gives the Canucks some added strength on the blue line.
Soucy has spent the last two seasons with the Seattle Kraken and previously played three seasons with the Minnesota Wild. In 250 career games, Soucy has 21 goals and 47 assists for 68 points. He was a fifth-round draft selection in 2013 by the Wild and made his debut in the 2017-18 season. Unfortunately for Soucy, he hasn’t seen much playoff success with either team he’s been with but made a difference during the runs he did have and made the most of each one, even being one of, if not the best defenseman on the Kraken during their 2023 Playoff run.
Related: 2023 NHL Free Agency Tracker
Soucy was considered a No. 1 target for a number of teams. Truthfully, he is worth every penny the Canucks have given him. He will likely be entering his prime, so for the Canucks to make such a strong signing by adding him, their odds have increased as even stronger contenders going into the 2023-24 season.
He spent the majority of his junior career with the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the NCAA where through four full seasons, he scored 12 goals and added 35 assists for 47 points through 147 games, which comes out to a 0.32 points-per-game average. He earned a spot in the NHL due to his strong two-way game that he was easily able to transfer to whatever level he played at.
Soucy has remained consistent as he enters his sixth full season in the NHL. He is a trustworthy, shut-down, stay-at-home defenseman that can play anywhere in a team’s top-four spots. He’s never been an overly offensive defenseman, but his value comes from his defensive ability. Teams are always looking to upgrade on the point, so for Soucy to now be off the board is a big blow to some teams’ plans.
Soucy’s Fit With Canucks
The Canucks are not going to be contending next season but to add a solid defenseman in Soucy, they’ll be hoping to push themselves into a wild-card playoff spot. He can play a top-four role and I fully expect him to do so with the Canucks. He is coming off of a strong year of two-way play, so the team is hoping they get the same consistency for the next three seasons.
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