Wild lose defenseman Carson Soucy to Kraken in expansion draft
Jul. 21—After making a name for himself as an imposing force on the Wild blue line, defenseman Carson Soucy is on his way out.
On Wednesday night, the Seattle Kraken selected Soucy in the NHL expansion draft, meaning the 26-year-old defenseman will continue his career as a part of the league's newest franchise.
While the selection of Soucy further weakens the depth on the blue line for the Wild, it also means the backup goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen remains on the roster. There was concern the Kraken might select the 24-year-old Kahkonen after he was left exposed by Wild general manager Bill Guerin.
Instead, the Kraken decided to go with the 6-foot-5, 210-pound Soucy, who already has proven to be a solid two-way player in the league. His team-friendly $2.75 million cap hit over the next two seasons likely played a role in his selection.
This move means the Wild will have some holes to fill on the blue line heading into NHL free agency next week. They shockingly bought out veteran star Ryan Suter last week, which opened up a spot on the blue line, and now must fill another spot following the loss of Soucy.
As it currently stands, the blue line for the Wild consists of captain Jared Spurgeon, the smooth-skating Jonas Brodin, and the dynamic Matt Dumba. There's a good chance the Wild will try to re-sign veteran Ian Cole, who filled a valuable role last season, and top prospect Calen Addison is also waiting in the wings.
That said, the Wild will need to add at least a couple of other players to the mix ahead of training camp. It will be interesting what Guerin decides to prioritize over the next week or so. He is scheduled to talk to reporters at 8:30 p.m. following the expansion draft.
