A former Vancouver Canucks defenseman has suddenly become available for the taking.
This is because the Columbus Blue Jackets have placed former Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy on waivers, as reported by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Soucy earned a contract for the season from the Blue Jackets last month after joining their training camp on a professional tryout agreement. However, with this news, the left-shot defenseman is now on the waiver wire and can be claimed by any other NHL team.
Soucy had a quiet start to the season, so him being placed on waivers is not necessarily the most surprising development. He has one assist and a minus-5 rating in seven games this season with the Blue Jackets. The former Canucks blueliner was also scratched for multiple games by Columbus this season before his waiver placement.
Teams looking for blueline help could consider taking a gamble on Soucy with a waiver claim. He has been a solid defensive defenseman in the past, so he could be a good addition for another team if he bounces back. The former Canucks defenseman also has an easily affordable $1.15 million cap hit, which could intrigue another NHL team.
Looking back at Soucy's time with the Canucks
During the 2023 NHL offseason, the Canucks signed Soucy to a three-year, $9.75 million contract in free agency. With this move, Soucy was expected to be an important part of the Canucks' blueline for multiple years.
In his first season with the Canucks, Soucy posted two goals, four assists, six points, 65 hits, and a plus-10 rating in 40 games. The 6-foot-5 blueliner was also impactful during the Canucks' playoff run that year, as he recorded one goal, five points, and a plus-1 rating in 12 games. Overall, he played well during his first season with the Canucks.
However, Soucy's time with the Canucks would end during the second season of his contract in 2024-25. After posting three goals, 10 points, and a minus-13 rating in 59 games with the Canucks that campaign, Soucy was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for a conditional 2025 third-round pick. Since then, the former Canucks blueliner has had stops with the Rangers, New York Islanders, and, of course, Blue Jackets.
In 99 games over two seasons with the Canucks, Soucy posted five goals, 11 assists, 16 points, 151 hits, and a minus-3 rating. It will now be interesting to see if he gets claimed by another team from here.
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