During Saturday’s 32 Thoughts segment on Hockey Night in Canada, Jeff Marek reported that contract talks between the Seattle Kraken and defenseman Carson Soucy haven’t gone terribly well. Soucy is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and he’s been a dependable piece of the Kraken’s defense corps. The team would like to keep him but there’s been interest in the player from other teams over the last two seasons and it’s believed he might want to test free agency.
Under other circumstances, this might be a scenario where the team looks at trading the player. In Seattle, where the team is working to make their first playoff appearance in franchise history, the organization isn’t looking to jeopardize their chances of getting in. Moving Soucy without having a replacement doesn’t make much sense, even if it would be ideal to get assets back for the player and not let him walk away for nothing this summer. It’s a tricky spot for the Kraken who have been patient as they build their team and try to develop a young core who can be successful for the long haul.
Soucy on Oilers’ Radar?
There was talk last season and just before the deadline that the Edmonton Oilers were interested in Soucy. In fact, pictures of a jersey that was made for Soucy in Edmonton circulated on social media, suggesting a deal was close. Edmonton might kick tires on the player again, but it’s a different scenario than last season where the Kraken wasn’t close to being a playoff team. Could the Oilers offer up someone that could help Seattle now? The only player that comes to mind would be Brett Kulak. Both players make the same salary, but Kulak is locked in for three additional seasons. It would be a trade where to teams swapped different style defenders, Seattle getting the player with term and Edmonton getting the player who has a bit more grit and an expiring contract. Still, it’s unlikely.
In the end, Seattle is likely to view Soucy as an internal rental. Keep the player knowing there’s a good chance he leaves, but in the moment, gives the franchise a better chance of winning.
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