According to a report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Vancouver Canucks are willing to trade defenceman Carson Soucy amid some struggles and a recent lack of playing time.
And, if the Canucks continue to struggle to get into the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference, offloading the veteran defender makes perfect sense, especially if there is a robust market for Soucy's services.
The Canucks have made Carson Soucy available for a trade, per @FriedgeHNIC pic.twitter.com/3AgYCYmlfq
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 4, 2025
Soucy, 30, has the remainder of this year and next season on his contract at a manageable $3.25 million cap hit with the 6-foot-5 size you can't teach. It's easy to see why Soucy would be an attractive trade deadline asset to contending teams.
At the same time, though, the Canucks are not one of those contending teams. They are also not prioritizing the traits Soucy brings to the table over a prospect defenceman like Elias Pettersson or a play-the-right-way warrior like Noah Juulsen.
Additionally, the Canucks got a lot younger when they traded J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers for 25-year-old Filip Chytil and 22-year-old Victor Mancini. Soucy will turn 32 shortly after his contract expires and 31 before the start of next season.
In short, if the Canucks truly feel Soucy is not in their future plans, the quicker they cut bait, the better off they will be. Pettersson, 20, is getting valuable NHL minutes in a lost season, and soon, NCAA standout Tom Willander will be joining the fold.
Factor in the presences of Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek and the arrival of Marcus Pettersson, and it's difficult to see where Soucy fits with the Canucks past 2025.
Indeed, if the Canucks choose to move on from Soucy now, they will unquestionably be selling low on the market. The former fifth-round pick has not played at a high level, nor has he played a solid amount of minutes to lure in contending teams.
But, a third- or fourth-round pick acquired in a trade can be used on a solid B- or C-tier prospect, or included in a package as a means to acquire another NHL-caliber roster player.
Based on the precedent Vancouver has set with their actions and with their words, the Canucks really have no reason to avoid trading Soucy ahead of the March 7 NHL trade deadline.