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Carson Soucy

West Notes: Shattenkirk, Coyotes, Canucks

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Speculation regarding a potential reunion between the Anaheim Ducks and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has been put to rest. A league source tells Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic that the 34-year-old is expected to hit the free-agent market this Saturday.

Some had wondered whether a Shattenkirk return made sense for Anaheim, given the patchwork state of their largely inexperienced defense. Aside from longtime Duck Cam Fowler, none of Anaheim’s projected top six defensemen to start the year are over the age of 25, and Simon Benoit leads the rest in NHL games played with 137. Shattenkirk is finishing up a three-year, $11.7MM deal he signed with the Ducks in 2020, and he won’t command a raise on his previous AAV of $3.9MM. Still a serviceable defender, there are much worse options out there for teams looking to bolster their second or third pairings and special teams units.

After lifting the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020, Shattenkirk went on to record 14 goals, 63 assists, and 77 points in 212 games with the Ducks, averaging 20:37 per game and posting a -37 rating across three seasons.

More from the West:

  • The Arizona Coyotes remain engaged in discussions regarding potential locations for a new arena, focusing on six sites in the East Valley of the Phoenix metro area, according to team president Xavier Gutierrez. The Coyotes aim to avoid a public referendum, as experienced with the unsuccessful Tempe proposal, and plan to present their finalized plan to the NHL by January 1, 2024. Gutierrez emphasized the team’s commitment to constructing a state-of-the-art facility that encompasses an arena, practice rink, entertainment venues, retail shops, and more, with the goal of providing a premier fan experience – all things the team was hoping to achieve with their failed entertainment district-type plan in Tempe.
  • Speculation continues around the future of the Vancouver Canucks defense corps after the team bought out Oliver Ekman-Larsson earlier this month. Per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Canucks have an expected interest in Seattle Kraken defenseman Carson Soucy, who will likely become a free agent on Saturday. Seravalli also believes the Canucks have engaged in discussions regarding a potential trade involving Tyler Myers, which would clear an additional $6MM of cap space by moving the final season of the 33-year-old defenseman’s contract.

Kraken Defenseman Carson Soucy Likely Headed To Free Agency

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Another player that is likely headed to the free agency market is defenseman Carson Soucy. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff is reporting that the Seattle Kraken and the hulking defenseman had discussions about an extension, but it appears that at this point he is going to unrestricted free agency and will be in a new uniform next season.

This past season Soucy finished last in Kraken defensemen for points and ice time, however, he will still be a significant loss on the backend for Seattle. Together with offensive defenseman Justin Schultz, they formed one of the top third-defensive pairings in the NHL last season, which is what will ultimately price Soucy out of Seattle.

Soucy had three goals and 13 assists in 78 games last season and while he will never an offensive defenseman, he may be paid like one given that he’ll be entering a very weak free-agent market for defensemen. Soucy can bring a lot to a new team, he can play on both sides of the ice, has a bomb from the point, and is a good penalty killer. The one caveat to Soucy’s recent success is that he’s played sheltered minutes for the past two seasons. If a team pays him like a second-pairing defenseman, they might be very disappointed with the results.

Given what is known about Soucy’s game it seems unlikely that a team will dramatically overpay him. Daily Faceoff is projecting a three-year contract for him with an average annual value of $2.5MM, while The Athletic is projecting a $2.6MM annual value also on a three-year deal. Those numbers are more in line with a third pairing defensemen and that is a role the Soucy can flourish in as demonstrated by the past two seasons.

Canucks Notes: Soucy, Martinez, Lucic

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The Vancouver Canucks will surely weaponize some cap space when free agency opens after buying out Oliver Ekman-Larsson late last week, and they’ll likely have upwards of $10MM to play with, given their potential for long-term injured reserve relief. One name the team could pursue if he hits the open market is Seattle Kraken defenseman Carson Soucy, who CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal believes the Canucks have an interest in.

Soucy’s gained a reputation as a reliable defensive option further down the depth chart and brings 250 games of NHL experience split between the Kraken and Minnesota Wild. The 28-year-old registered three goals and 16 points in 78 games this year, marking his worst full-time campaign offensively, but he still managed strong defensive play at even strength and on the penalty kill. He’ll undoubtedly command upwards of $2MM on a multi-year contract, but he’s the type of value player the Canucks need to address a long-standing weakness – especially with their newfound cap space.

Other rumblings around the Canucks today:

  • The Athletic’s Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal listed Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez as Vancouver’s top trade target this offseason, should they decide to add to their roster outside of free agency. Martinez is getting up there in age at 35 years old but has just one year left at a relatively affordable $5.25MM cap hit. With Vegas boasting substantial defensive depth and needing additional flexibility to attempt to re-sign Ivan Barbashev, a move to the Canucks could make sense for all parties involved. A left-shot defender, Martinez would essentially replace (and massively upgrade) Ekman-Larsson’s vacated spot on the team at a lesser cap hit.
  • Dhaliwal also reported this morning the Canucks are considering making a pitch for veteran power forward Milan Lucic in free agency, as the winger will reportedly be hitting the open market on July 1 and won’t re-sign with the Calgary Flames. Lucic has long been linked to his hometown of Vancouver and could now finally make some sense for the team, given a cap hit that’s likely to be close to the league minimum. The 35-year-old scored a career-low 19 points in 77 games as a Flame in a fourth-line role last year and is coming off a massive seven-year, $42MM contract signed with the Edmonton Oilers back in 2016.

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