Rangers ship veteran Sam Carrick to Buffalo Sabres in latest deadline move

The New York Rangers are trading Sam Carrick to the Buffalo Sabres, and it is the next move by Chris Drury since the Letter 2.0 was released. Elliotte Friedman originally reported the trade, and later on he confirmed the particulars.

This return feels pretty fair for a player of Carrick's stature, and some of the other moves made up to this point, fair to give this trade a B+ grade. When you Michael McCarron fetched a second-round pick from Minnesota, but that feels like a massive overpay. Michael Bunting is a tertiary contributor on the wing with more offensive upside than Carrick, and he yielded a third-round pick. The third-round pick at a minimum is fine, and the sixth-round pick is something that could be used on Day 2 of the draft in conjunction with other picks to move up the board.

Carrick was a successful depth signing who exceeded expectations

Carrick served the Rangers in a bottom six role, and the 34-year-old joined the organization before the 2024-25 season. This year he's appeared in 60 games while scoring four goals and adding six assists for 10 points, and he's also won 53.9 percent of his faceoff this season.

Carrick became a fan favorite for playing the game hard, and his seven fights led the Blueshirts this season. His tenure on Broadway ends after 140 games, and he finishes with 10 goals, 20 assists, and 30 points overall.

The move to Buffalo puts Carrick closer to home, as he was born in Stouffvile, Ontario. He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs, spent six seasons in Anaheim, and 16 games with the Edmonton Oilers before signing with the Rangers. Carrick appeared in 10 playoff games for the Oilers during their 2023-24 playoff run, and average 9:15 a game while winning 53.3 percent of his faceoffs.

Attention now shifts to Vincent Trocheck

Trocheck, like Carrick, was also scratched for roster management purposes on Thursday vs. Toronto. The Blueshirts' second-line center has appeared in 46 games this season, and in those game he's scored 12 goals and added 27 assists for 39 points averaging 20:52 a night. Since joining the Rangers, Trocheck has 85 goals, 154 assists, and 239 points in 292 games. The front office is pushing to get a deal done to maximize his value, but there's no guarantee a deal is done. His no-trade clause shifts from 12 teams to 10 teams this July, but putting things off until them doesn't guarantee an increase in a potential return. Chris Drury has a fine line to walk, and the hope is that some team steps up and meets the asking price.