REPORT | Promising statement on Carson Soucy: Possibly the best signing in this year's free agency
The Canucks were desperate to add defensemen after buying out Oliver Ekman-Larsson. After losing Kyle Burroughs, Allvin went on to add wisely after signing Matt Irwin, Ian Cole and, notably, Carson Soucy.
The 29-year-old agreed to terms on a three-year contract with a $3.25M AAV. Standing at 6'5'' and 212 pounds, he will add size and defensive abilities to this core. With the Canucks, Soucy will be given an opportunity he's rarely seen through the first few years of his career and advanced statistics show that this signing has the potential to turn into a steal.
Soucy had been limited to a bottom pairing role during his time with the Wild and the Kraken, and he's always delivered and excelled in those roles. Harman Dayal, from the Athletic, highlighted precisely what made Carson Soucy the best signing for the Canucks:
''Soucy's game marries competitive, physical play with sound defensive IQ and positioning. He's patient and calculated in processing how the play unfolds in front of him — rarely does he chase the puck badly and put himself out of position.''
The Canucks may have landed the perfect partner to play on Filip Hronek's side: Big, left-handed, defensively sound and highly competitive:
''Soucy's solid positionally and mostly makes good reads, but his defensive IQ isn't a standout trait on its own. He needs more than his brain to make a high volume of defensive stops. This is where his competitiveness and size is an important asset.''
The Canucks have two elite puck movers, Filip Hronek and Quinn Hughes, to play on their top 4; the challenge for the Canucks was to find a defenseman who could take on the defensive missions and penalty-killing minutes. This will allow Tocchet to not overutilize Hughes and Hronek and keep them fresh for offensive opportunities such as powerplays and offensive zone draws.
This year's training camp will display an interesting battle to see who gets the top pairing minutes alongside Hughes. The newly acquired Ian Cole? Noah Juulsen did well by his side last year. Could Filip Johansson cause a surprise?
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 15 | 774 ANSWERS REPORT | Promising statement on Carson Soucy: Possibly the best signing in this year's free agency Who's the best partner for Quinn Hughes? | ||
| Juulsen | 115 | 14.9 % |
| Soucy | 266 | 34.4 % |
| Cole | 243 | 31.4 % |
| Other | 150 | 19.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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