Blue Jackets sign Carson Soucy to PTO
The Columbus Blue Jackets will have another body on their blueline, at least for training camp, as they’ve announced that they’ve signed defenseman Carson Soucy to a professional tryout contract.
Soucy was an unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of his three-year contract with a $3.25 million cap hit. With the PTO, Soucy will be able to participate in training camp and preseason action with the Blue Jackets, and if his play is good enough, he can sign with Columbus if they offer him a contract. However, they don’t have Soucy’s signing rights, so if any team is impressed with his play, he can sign a contract with them as well.
“Carson Soucy is a big, physical stay-at-home defenseman who blocks shots, clears the net and plays an overall solid defensive game,” Blue Jackets general manager and president of hockey operations Don Waddell said in a statement announcing the signing. “He is a competitive, experienced player and we look forward to having him in camp.”
It is possible that the Blue Jackets signed Soucy to a PTO with the intention to sign him, but need to wait until they resolve the situation with restricted free agent Adam Fantilli first. Columbus has $12,645,001 in projected salary cap space according to PuckPedia, but based on the recent spike in the RFA market, Fantilli may take up all, if not more, than what is remaining. It will be interesting to see how Soucy fits into their salary cap picture given the situation.
Soucy split his season with both teams in New York, beginning the year with the New York Rangers before he was dealt to the New York Islanders in late January in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick. He had five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 76 games on the year between the two teams.
The Blue Jackets were in the headlines a few times during the summer, although it wasn’t always good. The most notable topic was trade rumours surrounding stars Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko, with the former needing to release a statement to dispel those rumours. They did make a few moves though, including trading for Valeri Nichushkin and signing Ryan Lomberg.
