The Buffalo Sabres have acquired forward Sam Carrick from the New York Rangers in exchange for a third-round and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The trade was completed ahead of Friday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.
Carrick, who is 34 years old, has played 380 games over ten seasons with teams including Toronto, Anaheim, Edmonton, and New York. He is under contract through the 2026-27 season with an average annual value of $1 million.
This season, Carrick has won 53.9 percent of his faceoffs and holds a career average of 52 percent. His addition addresses a key need for Buffalo, which currently ranks last in the league at faceoff percentage with just 45 percent.
In his time with the Rangers this season, Carrick recorded ten points (four goals and six assists) across sixty games while averaging just over ten minutes per game in a bottom-six role. Last season he set personal bests with twenty points and eighty games played. He has delivered eighty-six hits so far this year, placing him sixth among current Sabres players.
Carrick’s impact extended beyond basic statistics; when he was on the ice at five-on-five play for New York, the team controlled just over fifty percent of expected goals and more than fifty-two percent of high-danger scoring chances according to Natural Stat Trick. His playoff experience includes ten games during Edmonton’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024.
Originally from Stouffville, Ontario, Carrick was drafted by Toronto in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL Draft.
The sixth-round pick involved in this deal was originally owned by Chicago before coming to Buffalo as part of last July’s Sam Lafferty trade.
Buffalo has made several moves leading up to the trade deadline. In addition to acquiring Carrick, they have added veteran defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn from Winnipeg as they prepare for a potential playoff run.
“Stay tuned to Sabres.com for full coverage and reactions on all of the team’s moves as it gears up for a potential playoff run,” reads an official statement from the team.
