Blue Jackets make another move less than 24 hours after blockbuster trade with Leafs

The Columbus Blue Jackets have wasted absolutely no time making another roster move.

Less than 24 hours after completing their blockbuster trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus has signed defenseman Carson Soucy to a one-year contract worth $1.15 million. Soucy had been with the Blue Jackets on a professional tryout agreement after signing the PTO with the club earlier this month.

The timing of the move is particularly interesting given just how much changed for the Blue Jackets on Monday. Columbus sent Kirill Marchenko, Miles Wood and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins to Toronto in exchange for Matthew Knies, defenseman Emil Andrae, Steven Lorentz and a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Now, barely a day later, Soucy has gone from trying to earn an NHL contract to officially becoming part of the Blue Jackets' roster.

For Soucy, this represents a significant opportunity to extend his NHL career. The 32-year-old defenseman entered training camp looking for a new home after finishing a three-year contract that carried a $3.25 million cap hit. He spent last season between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders, recording 12 points in 64 games. He has 441 regular-season NHL games under his belt and brings a 6-foot-5 frame and plenty of physicality to the Columbus blue line.

The Blue Jackets' decision to keep him around also makes sense from a depth perspective. Columbus has made significant changes up front and in goal over the past 24 hours, but Soucy gives the team another experienced option on defense. He may not immediately step into a top-four role, but having a veteran capable of playing a physical, defensive-minded game could prove valuable over an 82-game schedule.

And considering the chaos surrounding the Blue Jackets over the last day, this is a much quieter transaction — but potentially an important one.

Columbus has gone from preparing for opening night with one roster to making a blockbuster trade, moving out three players, bringing in three players and a draft pick, and then adding another veteran defenseman before the dust has even settled.

The Soucy signing may not generate nearly the headlines that the Marchenko-Knies blockbuster did, but it shows that Don Waddell and the Blue Jackets aren't finished tweaking this roster. With the regular season arriving, Columbus is clearly still making moves.