Carson Soucy lands PTO with Blue Jackets
Carson Soucy is heading to Columbus on a PTO, giving Rick Bowness another veteran option on the Blue Jackets' blue line.
Soucy will report to training camp with no guaranteed contract attached. His path is simple: earn his way onto the roster through practices and preseason games.
The timing matters. With camps opening and teams taking longer looks at their depth charts, unsigned veterans are running out of opportunities to secure NHL jobs before puck drop.
Columbus gives Soucy a legitimate opening. The Blue Jackets can evaluate him directly against their other defensemen rather than committing money or a roster spot before seeing him in their system.
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Soucy spent last season with both New York clubs, skating for the Rangers and Islanders before reaching unrestricted free agency during the summer.
He has also worn NHL sweaters for the Vancouver Canucks, Seattle Kraken and Minnesota Wild, giving Columbus an experienced defenseman who has worked inside several different systems.
Soucy now has to win a job in Columbus
The PTO changes the conversation around Soucy. Instead of waiting for another club to offer a guaranteed deal, he now gets a chance to put himself directly in front of Bowness and the Blue Jackets' staff.
That also creates pressure. A professional tryout offers access to camp, not security, and every preseason shift can influence where Soucy sits on the depth chart.
For Columbus, there is little downside. Management gets another veteran body in camp while keeping its options open as the coaching staff sorts through combinations on the blue line.
Soucy's experience could work in his favor if the Blue Jackets decide they need a steadier defensive presence behind their established options. He has played different roles and handled changes in deployment before.
But reputation alone won't get him onto the opening-night roster. Columbus can use camp to judge his skating, puck movement, defensive reads and ability to fit Bowness' structure.
The larger opportunity extends beyond Columbus as well. A strong preseason can put Soucy back on the radar for other NHL clubs if the Blue Jackets ultimately move in another direction.
For now, Soucy has his opening. He's back in an NHL camp, competing for a contract, and the next few weeks will determine whether Columbus becomes his next stop.
Should the Blue Jackets sign Carson Soucy after his PTO?
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