Canucks may not be done making moves after trading Carson Soucy
Carson Soucy wasn’t a mistake for the Vancouver Canucks. The defence just got better around him. Iain MacIntyre looks at what the defenceman was traded, and what the Canucks could do next.
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VANCOUVER — Carson Soucy wasn’t a mistake for the Vancouver Canucks. The defence just got better around him.
The mobile, six-foot-five defenceman was a significant add for the Canucks two summers ago when he signed a three-year, $9.75-million contract in free agency.
But after Soucy struggled in the first half of this season to play elevated minutes in the absence of injured Filip Hronek, the 30-year-old from Viking, Alta., became expendable with the Jan. 31 acquisition of left side defenceman Marcus Pettersson in a spinoff trade from the blockbuster that sent J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers from Vancouver.
Those deals occurred as 21-year-old Elias Pettersson, a younger, less-polished version of Soucy, was emerging from the American League sooner than the Canucks had projected.
Healthy-scratched twice by Canucks coach Rick Tocchet in February, Soucy returned to the lineup on last week’s road trip playing the right side, his off-side, on the third pairing with veteran Derek Forbort.
After a sales call by Miller, Soucy waived his no-trade clause to accept Thursday’s move to the Rangers, who surrendered to the Canucks a third-round draft pick that originally belonged to the San Jose Sharks.
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Watch Hockey Central Trade Deadline on Sportsnet
Sportsnet’s hockey news breakers, analysts and reporters will have coast-to-coast coverage of all the moves made ahead of this season’s NHL trade deadline. Full coverage on March 7 begins at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
It looks like an excellent business move for the Canucks, who aren’t retaining salary on Soucy and so have $3.25-million more to work with through next season.
Based on previous transactions, that third-rounder may already be burning a hole in the pocket of Vancouver general manager Patrik Allvin who, for example, possessed the Rangers’ first-round pick for only a couple of hours in January before transferring it to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Marcus Pettersson.
Likely to be at the top of the third round in June, the newly-acquired pick should have significant value as Allvin and hockey-operations president Jim Rutherford seek to upgrade and re-align the Canucks’ roster and leadership ahead of Friday’s NHL trading deadline.
For now, it replaces and upgrades the third-round selection the Canucks sent to the Montreal Canadiens before last season in the acquisition of backup goalie Casey DeSmith for winger Tanner Pearson.
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Real Kyper’s Trade Board
Hockey Insider Nick Kypreos shares the latest intel on players who could be on the move ahead of the March 7 trade deadline.
The Canucks are taking offers on top-six winger Brock Boeser, third-line centre Pius Suter and the rugged Forbort — the team’s three players who are eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1.
It’s possible Allvin could keep all or none of them for the final quarter of the regular season, as the Canucks try to rescue their tumultuous campaign by making the playoffs with some momentum and a healthy lineup.
But after seeing expensive rentals Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm choose to leave Vancouver in free agency after last season, it will be extremely tempting for Allvin to take advantage of what looks like a robust sellers’ market.
There were even fresh reports Thursday that the Canucks are listening on inquiries about struggling star Elias Pettersson. It’s no secret that nearly everything is on the table for Vancouver and its management group, but the potential trading field for Pettersson, who has had a miserable first year on his $92.8-million contract, would probably be much broader after this season than before Friday’s deadline.
The Canucks play the Minnesota Wild Friday night at Rogers Arena.
