Minnesota Wild: 2018-19 season preview of Carson Soucy
By Cody Defoe
The Minnesota Wild preseason begins in less than 60 Days. The countdown to the season is on. So who better to preview next than #60, Carson Soucy.
Defenseman Carson Soucy is about to start his second preseason with the Minnesota Wild, after spending the majority of 2017-18 with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. Soucy got some attention during his brief stint to end last season, and will hope to earn himself some more consistent playing time this year.
History
Soucy, a 2013 5th Round Draft Pick of the Minnesota Wild, has taken the long way around to the NHL club. After being drafted Carson decided to take his game to the college level, committing to the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
In 4 seasons spent with UMD, Soucy accumulated 47 Points, 216 Penalty Minutes, and a plus 31 over 147 Games played (per Eliteprospects.com). He played his way into a letter “A” on his jersey in his final year with the NCAA program, ultimately leading the program to the NCAA Championship.
Carson developed into a defense first player with flashes of offensive ability,.After a brief debut to end the 2016-17 AHL Season, Soucy signed a 2 year contract with the team that drafted him. He participated in full during the 2017 NHL Development Camp before returning to spend the entire season with the Iowa Wild.
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In his first full season with Iowa, Carson led all players on the team with a plus 12 through 67 games played. He was called up to the Minnesota Wild and made his pro debut on April 2nd, after injuries to Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon left the Wild extremely short-handed on Defense.
Soucy did not manage to put any points on the scoresheet, finishing with a -2 through 3 regular season games and a -3 through 4 playoff games. He did, however, make an impression on his teammates as a confident player with an NHL Level poise to his game.
Season Outlook
Having only played 3 regular season games last season, Soucy did not breach his rookie status. Therefore, this season should be considered his true rookie season. Carson will enter training camp as a fringe player, equally possible for him to get a full time NHL position as it is for him to be sent to Iowa for another season.
His play to end last season, and the trust that Bruce Boudreau appeared to quickly develop in him should give Soucy a fair chance at being a season regular on the blueline. Carson was thrust into a role playing approximately 15 minutes per game, and held that trust through his stint with the team to end the year.
That experience in the playoffs, coupled with Coach Boudreau’s trust, and glowing compliments from Devan Dubnyk should give Soucy a fair shot at being member of the Wild roster. Not only for this season, but for year’s to come.
As a 24 year old rookie, the window to solidify an NHL Roster spot is relatively small for Carson Soucy, and he needs to take full advantage of every opportunity he is given. He made a solid first impression in limited game time last season, and this year he will need a very good showing in training camp to start the season with the team.
More than likely, he will begin the year down in Iowa to get consistent top pairing playing time. In order to see more regular time in the NHL he will be required to wait for a trade or an injury to open up a spot for him, and then seize that opportunity.
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If and when Carson Soucy gets some more NHL games with the Minnesota Wild, he will need to play at a level that will make it a difficult choice to send him back to the minors.