Rangers Acquire Carson Soucy From the Canucks

Rangers Add More Defensive Depth

Soucy recently found himself as a healthy scratch for the Canucks, and many expect the team to part ways with the defensive blueliner. In February, the Canucks released a memo indicating that he was available for trade. Soucy is primarily recognized for his strong defensive play, and with a cap hit of $3.25 million until the 2025-26 season, he represents a cost-effective option for helping to keep the puck out of the net.

For the trade to proceed, he had to waive his no-trade clause. Teams were interested in his physicality and shot-blocking abilities, among other aspects of his game. The 6-foot-5 defenseman is challenging to play against. Although he may not be the fastest, he compensates for this with excellent positioning. After moving Ryan Lindgren to the Colorado Avalanche, this could be a potential replacement to pair with Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox. Soucy has recorded three goals and 10 points in 59 games for the Canucks, which falls short of his personal best of 21 points achieved with the Seattle Kraken in the 2021-22 season.

Vancouver Starts the Fire Sale?

The third-round pick that the Canucks acquired from the Rangers is the same 2025 pick that New York received earlier on Thursday from the Vegas Golden Knights as part of the trade for Reilly Smith. This pick originally belonged to the San Jose Sharks. Since the Sharks will likely finish at the bottom of the standings this season, it is equivalent to a late second-round selection.

The Canucks have not been having the season they were hoping for when they finished last season one win away from the Western Conference Final. Quinn Hughes is having a Norris Trophy-calibre season, but they have needed to make plenty of moves to see if they can get their season back on track. The Elias Pettersson-J.T. Miller drama caused them to trade Miller to the Rangers, and shortly after, they made another deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins to acquire Marcus Pettersson. With Elias Pettersson still struggling, it will be an interesting 24 hours to see if they decide to salvage this season or make some moves to acquire future assets.