Sam Carrick is living his best life while the Rangers' season nosedives

It has only been two weeks since the New York Rangers traded Sam Carrick to the Buffalo Sabres for a pair of draft picks... but for Carrick, it’s already looking like the best-case scenario. The Rangers' season isn't all that interesting the rest of the way, but now's a good time to check in on how an old friend is living his best life a few hours away up the New York State Thruway.

While the Rangers are mired in a Letter 2.0 retool and a nosedive in the standings, "Mr. Maple Syrup" has landed on his feet in Western New York. Not only is he closer to his hometown of Stouffville, Ontario, but he’s also found a scoring touch that no one saw coming.

From depth piece to scoring machine

Carrick was acquired for a specific reason, which we will get to in just a bit, but his biggest impact has been putting pucks in the back of the net at a clip that is absolutely wild. The former Ranger is currently on a heater that has caught the entire league by surprise.

In Saturday afternoon’s 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, Carrick retrieved a puck along the wall and lifted a slick backhand over the shoulder of Anton Forsberg to give the Sabres a 2-1 lead they wouldn't relinquish. It was his fifth goal in just eight games since joining Buffalo, surpassing his goal total from his final 60 games with the Rangers in just two weeks. Whether it’s a change in scenery or Lindy Ruff’s offensive system, the 34-year-old veteran is playing with a level of confidence we haven't seen in years.

Helping Buffalo snap the streak

Carrick wasn't brought in to score, though the Sabres certainly won't complain about the offense. The primary reason Buffalo targeted him was to fix their league-worst faceoff percentage and add some battle-tested grit to a young locker room. Carrick's done exactly that, winning 60% of his draws and helping Buffalo extend a franchise-record road point streak to 13 games (12-0-1).

For a franchise desperate to end the longest postseason drought in NHL history, Carrick has been the perfect glue guy. In a poetic twist on Saturday, his game-winning goal came in a game where the only Kings goal was scored by another former Ranger, Artemi Panarin. While Panarin is finding his way in LA, Carrick is living his best life in Buffalo.

While the Rangers continue to evaluate their future, Carrick is busy enjoying the present in Buffalo. He’s providing the depth scoring every contender needs, and right now, he’s doing it at a rate that suggests the Sabres might have gotten the absolute steal of the trade deadline. Carrick was a great Ranger who exceeded expectations during his brief stint with the team, and fans who need something to root for the rest of the way have an easy pick to make.