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A rejuvenated Carson Soucy could be key to solidifying Rangers defense
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- A rejuvenated Carson Soucy could be key to solidifying Rangers defense
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Defenseman Carson Soucy had a strong preseason debut for the New York Rangers in their 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday. For new coach Mike Sullivan, Soucy's play might only bolster what appears to be his plan for the defense corps to open the new season.
With Vladislav Gavrikov , who's expected to play the left side on the top pair, not dressing against the Isles, Soucy moved up to play with Adam Fox . The duo posted strong underlying metrics, with a 51.2 expected goal share and the Blueshirts outchancing their archrivals 10-4 with the two together at 5 on 5, per Natural Stat Trick .
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Soucy became something of an afterthought under former coach Peter Laviolette following his acquisition from the Vancouver Canucks
at the March 7 trade deadline. Laviolette made him a healthy scratch a number of times and generally seemed less than enamored with the 6-foot-5, 208-pounder's game. That's also made Soucy a target for a portion of the fan base, which feels the pending unrestricted free agent's $3.2 million salary-cap hit would be better used elsewhere.
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Despite apparently being out of favor, Soucy's 16 regular-season appearances with the Rangers yielded positive numbers similar to what the 31-year-old has put up for most of his seven-year NHL career. The big left-shot defenseman posted a 53.1 expected goal share with the Rangers and was plus-2.
Those metrics appear to suggest that his 59 games with the Canucks last season were an anomaly. Soucy posted a 44.2 expected goal share and was minus-13 with Vancouver, both career worsts. In 2022-23 and 2023-24, Soucy had expected goal shares over 51.
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In the five seasons prior to 2024-25, he was a combined plus-73 and never finished as a minus player in any season during that span while playing for three teams.
Carson Soucy helped chances with strong showing vs. Islanders
While plus-minus is admittedly an imperfect statistic, it helps to demonstrate that Soucy has driven positive play throughout his career. His showing during an abbreviated stint for a coach who didn't warm to him last season, along with his solid preseason debut, might be just what Sullivan is looking for.
Speculation swirled during the offseason that the new coach was all but guaranteed to move young right-shot defenseman Braden Schneider to the left side on a permanent basis. The 24-year-old was effective in that situation to start last season when Laviolette paired him with Jacob Trouba following an injury to Ryan Lindgren . Returning to the left could theoretically serve as a way to get Schneider, a 2020 first-round pick, into the top four amid a crowded right side.
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That theory, however, was presented before Sullivan had a chance to address it in training camp. The coach seemed lukewarm on the idea when he finally did so last week.
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"The short answer is yes, (right-shot defensemen) could play the left side," he said . " … (But) I prefer to have defensemen play their strong sides.
" … If (Schneider) plays the right side, and we have Foxy, Will Borgen and Schneids on the right side, then we've got a pretty balanced approach, we feel. But I would envision us exploring opportunities to play Schneids on the off side also if we choose to roll the top four on the blue line."
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If Sullivan wants to go with Fox, Borgen and Schneider on the right, as he said, he'll need someone to solidify the left side with Lindgren having been traded in March and K'Andre Miller dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes
on July 1. The addition of Gavrikov as a free agent should go a long way toward stabilizing a formidable top pair, but the potential for a drop-off in effectiveness on the left side behind Gavrikov exists.
Related: Key takeaways after Rangers blow another lead, lose 5-4 to Islanders
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That's why Soucy's play might prove pivotal in 2025-26, and could give Sullivan some appealing options. The Dec. 18 acquisition of Borgen from the Seattle Kraken helped settle the defense, and he and Soucy are friends from their time together in the Pacific Northwest from 2021-23.
The friendship hasn't yielded a great on-ice partnership, however. In 581:31 with the Kraken, Soucy-Borgen posted a 48.1 expected goal share, with Seattle getting outchanced 261-238, per Natural Stat Trick.
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That continued with the pair as teammates again last season, with even less encouraging results. Though a very limited sample size, Soucy and Borgen were caved in at even strength in 18:37 together, putting up a 31.7 expected goal share. The Rangers were outchanced 14-8 and 5-1 in high-danger chances with them paired.
By contrast, Soucy and Schneider put together an impressive 8:36 together last season, posting a 57.7 expected goal share. Perhaps Schneider's path to a consistent top-four role will indeed run through the right side of the defense.
Soucy's play could in theory allow Sullivan flexibility with his defense combinations. The coach's zone defense style of play should simplify matters from the hybrid system employed by Laviolette. Sullivan wants his team to push pucks to the walls and win them by outnumbering opponents. Soucy, part of a blue line that's been remade with lots of size, should in theory thrive in such battles.
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Sullivan will also be hoping for a step forward from Urho Vaakanainen, another left-side defenseman, who was acquired on Dec. 6 in the trade that sent Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks . Right-shot rookie Scott Morrow offers enticing offensive upside and could make the team with a strong camp.
The Rangers need someone to firm up the left side of the defense behind Gavrikov, their big offseason acquisition. A rejuvenated, effective Soucy just might be the answer.
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