Sam Carrick is the prototypical heart and soul player that every coaching staff loves, and every fanbase rallies around. His time with the New York Rangers was short, but he left an impact on a fan base he endeared himself to rather quickly. He was a fearless bottom six grinder who wasn't shy about dropping the gloves, was a steadying veteran presence, and it is no surprise that the upstart Buffalo Sabres were interested in him at the trade deadline. Although he's no longer a Ranger, Carrick is still deserving of a report card to remember the impact he had on the season.
Expectations
Carrick's first season with the Rangers was amazing, and it saw him finish with a career high 20 points in 80 games (six goals and 14 assists). It is fair to say that most fans saw that as a nice surprise, and not something that he was going to repeat again. Therefore, the goal for Carrick was to be the identity of the fourth line, and play a smart reliable game with an emphasis on sound defense, winning faceoffs, killing penalties, and dropping the gloves as the team's pseudo-enforcer when it was time for someone to answer the bell. Although he was brought in to be a transitional player, in a different timeline he could have been someone who spent a lot of time with the Rangers for the immediate future.
Performance
Carrick had five points in the first month for the Rangers, and while that doesn't sound all that impressive, it is in the context that he had 20 points in all of 2024-25. His offensive heater was never going to last, but he continued to be a steady presence for Mike Sullivan down the lineup. He was the Rangers' best man at the faceoff dot, winning 53.9 percent of his draws, and filled up his dance card with seven fights. He was part of an ever changing bottom-six squad, and his metrics included a 43.01 GF%, a 46.28 CF%, and a 49.27 xGF% in 559 minutes at 5v5 across 60 games per Evolving-Hockey.
Grade: C+
Where they go from here?
Carrick was moved at the trade deadline in a deal that sent him to the Buffalo Sabres for a 2026 third round draft pick, and a 2026 sixth round draft pick. President and General Manager Chris Drury did the veteran forward a solid, and he had an immediate impact with Buffalo with five goals and an assist in his first 13 games.
Carrick vs Lee. Carrick ended up hurt and needed help off the ice. #LetsGoBuffalo #Sabrehood #Isles pic.twitter.com/3U5dv8yxx4
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) April 1, 2026
He was injured in a fight against Anders Lee during a game vs. the New York Islanders in March, and the hope is that he will be good to return if the Buffalo Sabres can keep winning and move further on in the playoffs. Moving on from Carrick created additional opportunities for Jaroslav Chmelař and Adam Sýkora to play, and that is what ended up making the deal a win-win for all parties when looking at it through the context of the Letter 2.0.
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