According to multiple reports, the Vancouver Canucks have traded defenceman Carson Soucy to the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick, originally belonging to San Jose, marking the completion of what was a long-anticipated move.
While a third-round pick may not seem like a lot, especially given how chaotic the NHL trade market has been prior to Friday's 12 p.m. deadline, the Canucks are the clear winners of this trade with the Rangers due to the simple fact that they cleared a roster spot.
Indeed, Soucy, 30, had been playing better hockey as of late, but with a $3 million cap hit this year and next year, he is an affordable, reliable defenceman capable of stepping in for a contender right away. Soucy is only getting older, and if he continued to struggle, his trade value would decrease tantamount.
Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal reported on his X account that Soucy's former Canucks teammate, J.T. Miller, helped sell the burly defenceman on New York, so this was a natural fit. Both sides leave this one happy and content with the result.
JT Miller called Soucy and made the big apple pitch to him.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) March 6, 2025
In addition to now being able to prioritize the development of younger prospects like Elias Pettersson and Victor Mancini, the Canucks have an extra $3 million in cap space they can utilize in the offseason to bolster their slow and overall lackluster forward corps. Perhaps this extra money would make Patrik Allvin and Co. feel more comfortable pushing a Brock Boeser contract extension towards the finish line. Who really knows?
With Soucy now out of the fold, the Canucks have one key trade chip remaining on their defence, and that is veteran Derek Forbort. The market for defenceman has proven to be robust with under 24 hours remaining to the NHL trade deadline, and we can expect Allvin and the Canucks to attempt to turn their new trade assets into another player either at the draft or at another point in the offseason.