The Edmonton Oilers have undergone plenty of change in the past few years, and this off-season was no different, with the team adding a new Head Coach and making perhaps the most shocking trade of the summer thus far when they dealt Darnell Nurse to the rival San Jose Sharks.
Much of the Oilers change on the ice has come on their blue line, and while a top-four of Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, Jake Walman and Connor Murphy looks solid, this is a team that’s expected to be contending for a Stanley Cup, and that won’t get it done. What the team likely need is a bit more physicality, and with underwhelming seasons from some key depth pieces on the blue line, they’ve been linked to an Alberta native as a professional tryout option.
Oilers Named as a Landing Spot for Carson Soucy
With the Nurse deal, the Oilers added Shakir Mukhamadullin while also landing Ryan Shea in free agency, and given recent updates, that duo appears set to be their third-pairing heading into the pre-season. Beyond that, the team have some depth, but clearly, they want more firepower on their blue line, and now, the team at Daily Faceoff have named former Vancouver Canucks veteran Carson Soucy as a PTO option for the Oilers.
At the past two trade deadlines, Soucy has been traded for mid-round picks, and in 2025/26, he split time between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders, combining to post five goals and 12 points across 76 games played alongside a -6 differential. However, not only is Soucy 6-foot-4, 211 pounds, potentially providing plenty of grit and toughness for the Oilers, but he’s a native of Viking, Alberta, and would likely love the opportunity to fight for a spot in Edmonton.
Can the Oilers get Back to the Stanley Cup Finals?
All of the changes the Oilers made this off-season were with one goal in mind, and that’s getting back to the Stanley Cup Finals, with the team clearly believing that Mike Babcock is the Head Coach to help Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl take that final leap.
As we saw in 2025/26 however, injuries played a key role in the team finishing their season on a disappointing note, so giving Soucy the option to fight for a spot with a PTO to give the team further depth would not be a bad option.
Only time will tell if the team are interested in Soucy, but given the size and the experience he’s got at the NHL level, the Oilers likely won’t be the only team keeping an eye on Soucy, and while it’s a shock he’s still a free agent, he should have several PTO options when training camp begins in September.
Oilers Urged to Target Eight-Year NHL Defenseman on a PTO