The Minnesota Wild have made another move today by re-signing defender Carson Soucy to a new contract. The deal is for three seasons with an annual cap hit of $2.75 million. This is Minnesota’s third move for Monday alone. They traded Ryan Donato to the San Jose Sharks and signed depth forward Nico Sturm to a minimum contract.
The #mnwild today re-signed defenseman Carson Soucy to a three-year contract. pic.twitter.com/PwEbuGvV93
— Minnesota Wild PR (@mnwildPR) October 5, 2020
Minnesota Wild Re-Sign Carson Soucy
Soucy was effective in limited time in 2019-20. The former fifth-round selection from the 2013 NHL Entry Draft scored seven goals and 14 points in 55 games while averaging 15:38 of ice time per contest. The most recent season was just Soucy’s second in the NHL. He also contributed 69 hits and 50 blocks as one of the team’s most heavily used defenders in terms of defensive zone starts.
The Wild originally selected Soucy 137th overall in his draft class. The 6’4″, 190-pound bruiser debuted in 2017-18 but played in just three games. Most of his professional career has come with Minnesota’s AHL affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa. He has 136 games at the lower level with six goals and 35 points. The AHL doesn’t track physical counting stats but his size has been an asset throughout his career. Soucy might never be a scoring threat or possession defender, but he has a real future in Minnesota’s system.
What This Means for the Future
This contract is fantastic for Soucy. The Wild’s blue line is stocked for 2020-21 but Soucy adds another level of grit and energy. He is a perfect supplement for the more offensively-minded defenders like Matt Dumba and Jared Spurgeon. There is a strong chance that Soucy is a regular bottom-pairing defender for the upcoming season.
This deal leaves Minnesota with $10.4 million in cap space. They still have to make decisions on contracts for Jordan Greenway and Luke Kunin but there is time before free agency begins. The Wild are already one of the most active teams of the offseason. That will continue as the team looks to improve for next year.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
