The Seattle Kraken has surprised many this season as they are eyeing a playoff berth and have spent time on top of the Pacific Division. They now find themselves holding on to the top Wild Card Spot in the Western Conference, but with how close the Pacific has been, they could easily find themselves back into the top three by the end of the season.
With their current spot in the standings and still only in their second year as a franchise, many have wondered what general manager Ron Francis will be up to at the March 3rd trade deadline. So far, he has been quiet as teams around the league, including two Western Conference contenders Vegas and Dallas, have added players. While it seems Francis will not be a buyer, he could be a seller, as several teams have been calling about one of their defensemen.
A defenseman is one of the major positions teams look to acquire at the deadline, and the Kraken has just that in pending UFA Carson Soucy. As confirmed by Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the 6-foot-5 big-body defender has been on the radar of several teams.
“Teams have inquired about Soucy, and the Kraken haven’t slammed the phone down.”– Frank Servalli
The Kraken must decide if they want to let their 28-year-old defenseman, who was one of their initial expansion draft picks, test free agency or trade him away to try to recoup assets while they can. The reason Soucy is even being mentioned as a trade target is the fact he is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Also, Seattle acquired Jaycob Megna, who is more than capable of filling Soucy’s role on the team.
On the season, he has appeared in all but one game for Seattle, and while his play isn’t flashy, he plays his role well on the third pairing. Ultimately, he functions as a solid depth defenseman who can occasionally step into bigger roles if needed. This season he has seen an average ice time of 16:17, with the majority of that time coming on the third pairing next to either Will Borgen or Justin Schultz.
His ability to use that 6-foot-5 frame to block shots and deliver hits makes Soucy the perfect deadline pickup for a contender. He currently sits third on the team in blocked shots with 67 and fourth in hits with 105. With that, his perceived value is actually quite high, given his history of strong defensive play and his physical frame.
If the Kraken can get a decent return for Socuy, he will likely be playing for another team in the coming days. Frank Servalli also mentioned that the Kraken could fetch a first-round pick in return. This would be a major plus for Seattle as the 2023 Draft class is profiling as one of the deepest and most talented we’ve seen in years.
Anything can happen from now until Friday, March 3rd, so stay tuned for how this situation unfolds, as keeping him or trading him has pros and cons.
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