Blue Jackets Working To Sign Carson Soucy

The Columbus Blue Jackets are in the process of trying to sign defenseman Carson Soucy, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Soucy, 32, has been in camp on a professional tryout agreement since September 13. NHL rosters were due by 5 p.m. ET today, but Columbus sits at 21 players, leaving two open spots under the 23-man limit.

Soucy made a strong case for a roster spot through camp, and the need for another veteran defenseman grew when Dante Fabbro went down in last Monday’s preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings. Fabbro was placed on injured reserve Friday and is expected to miss at least a month. The team has listed it as an upper-body injury, though Daily Faceoff reports it’s a fractured hand. Damon Severson, who had shoulder surgery in April, has been medically cleared but remains uncertain for Thursday’s opener against the Buffalo Sabres.

Soucy became an unrestricted free agent this summer after completing a three-year contract with a $3.25MM cap hit that he originally signed with the Vancouver Canucks. He began last season with the New York Rangers before being traded to the New York Islanders on January 26 for a 2026 third-round pick. He finished the year with five goals, 12 points, a minus-six rating, 91 blocks and 105 hits in 76 games between the two clubs.

A fifth-round pick (137th overall) of the Minnesota Wild in 2013, Soucy has appeared in 441 NHL games with Minnesota, the Seattle Kraken, Vancouver and both New York clubs. He brings size and a defense-first, shot-blocking game that fits what Columbus needs while its right side is short-handed.