Canucks lose defenseman Soucy for 6 to 8 weeks

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy will be out for six-to-eight weeks with a lower-body injury, the team announced Wednesday.

Soucy was injured Sunday when he blocked a shot in the Canucks’ 5-2 victory against the Montreal Canadiens. He logged more than eight minutes of ice time before leaving the game in the second period.

Being without Soucy means the Canucks, who entered Wednesday sitting two points out of first place in the Pacific Division, will be without a third-paring defenseman who has played a role in their strong start this season.

Soucy, who has already missed two games this year, has scored two goals and five points in 13 games while averaging a little less than 17 minutes in ice time. He’s fourth in points among the Canucks defensemen and is also fourth on the team in short-handed ice time for a penalty kill that currently ranks 18th.

It appears that the Canucks could rely upon options such as Akito Hirose and Noah Juulsen to help fill the void in Soucy’s absence.

The 29-year-old Soucy is in the first year of a three-year contract having signed with the Canucks in free agency after spending two seasons with the Seattle Kraken.