Sam Carrick filled his role better than most Rangers fans expected

When the New York Rangers controversially moved on from fourth-line center Barclay Goodrow in the offseason, there was a glaring hole that needed to be filled. On the very first day of free agency, the organization signed Sam Carrick to a 3 year deal, all but anointing him as the team's go-to depth center. Despite being tasked with replacing a popular teammate and leader, he performed admirably in a tumultuous situation and new environment.

Expectations

When Carrick signed with the team, some questioned the deal due to his subpar analytical profile in his previous seasons. While not a perfect player, he had shown flashes of being a solid defensive center in the past. Due to the team's defensive struggles, it made sense to target a player who could provide stability in his own zone.

While Goodrow was able to be that player at times during his tenure in New York, he was far overpriced, and lacked the consistency to back up his price tag. For example, he scored six goals during the 2024 playoffs. That might seem like a gaudy number for a depth forward, but he had an abnormally high shooting percentage of 40. He also posted an abysmal expected goals percentage of 33.91 at even strength, according to Natural Stat Trick. This was the lowest of any Ranger that played more than three playoff games. When general manager Chris Drury was able to move off of Goodrow's contract for free, he had to take the opportunity.

After Carrick's role as the Goodrow replacement was established, the expectation was that he would provide more than the former Stanley Cup champion. Given the performance of Goodrow in the 2023-24 season, that expectation was certainly not a difficult one to reach. Due to Carrick's $1 million salary, it would not cost the team to bury him in Hartford if he struggled. He provided a low-risk, medium-reward option.

Performance

Carrick was able to meet, if not exceed, the expectations set out for him before the season. In 80 games, he managed to score six goals, and tallied a career-high of 20 points. This was good for eight more points than Goodrow's '23-24 total. Carrick was also a key part of the team's penalty kill, which ranked 11th in the league.

Carrick was able to notch an expected goals for percentage of 46.33, which seems poor on the surface. However, that statistic needs more context. As the fourth line center for most of the season, Carrick played with a revolving door of linemates as now-former head coach Peter Laviolette attempted to spark his squad with lineup changes. Carrick also started just 57 of his 1,168 shifts in the offensive zone. This resulted in him often starting on the defensive end, making it more difficult for him to produce scoring chances.

While not known for his offense, Carrick chipped in a few key contributions over the course of the season. When he jumped over the boards in overtime on January 9th against the New Jersey Devils, many fans might have wondered, Sam Carrick is getting minutes in overtime? Why? Moments later, he potted a one-time slapshot into the Devils' net to earn an extra point.

While that extra point proved to be useless at the conclusion of the season, it appeared to be important at the time. It helped spark a streak of seven straight games where the team was able to earn at least one point. Had the Rangers been able to continue this turnaround, many would have looked back on this goal as the moment that helped bring the team back from the dead.

Carrick provided more bang-for-buck than Goodrow, but he by no means had a perfect season. While he provided better offensive numbers, the penalty kill regressed with Carrick, going from 3rd place in '23-24 to 11th this season. Ranger goaltenders also saved 93.43 percent of shots with Carrick on the ice. While this could be attributed to his ability to neutralize high-grade scoring opportunities, it is more likely due to luck. Overall, he was a stable presence on an unstable team.

Where They Go From Here

Due to Carrick's play in his first season on Broadway, he should be a shoe-in as the team's starting fourth-line center next season. It will be difficult for the Rangers to find a player who will do his job at a more affordable cost. While there should certainly be roster turnover with the presence of a new coaching staff, it is unlikely that he will be wearing another jersey in 2025-26. If the team is able to vault back into contention, Carrick's stability at the bottom of the lineup could be a big reason why.