THREE THINGS: Carrick's Role Increases

Over the last year, Connor Carrick has grown to be a consistent and dependable part of the Devils defensive core. Carrick first joined the organization on February 23rd, 2019 after the Devils traded Ben Lovejoy to the Stars for Carrick and a third-round pick. Since then, he has played 49 games for Devils in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
This year, Carrick saw increased minutes, stayed consistent with his offensive contributions, and put in a lot of hard work in practice and off the ice to make an impact when he played. Here's Three Things you need to know about Connor Carrick's season presented by Wawa.

1. INCREASED ROLE

Although Carrick only played six games in the 2019 portion of this most recent season, he saw a huge increase in playing time starting in the new year. Starting on January 11th, Carrick entered the lineup for the Devils game against the Capitals, his seventh game of the season. When asked about the lineup decision, Interim Head Coach Alain Nasreddine credited Carrick's hard work to make the lineup.
"He put in a lot of work, he's ready, he deserves a game," said Nasreddine. "With the results lately, I'm just trying to get him in."
Carrick made his presence known quickly, getting an assist on Nico Hischier's opening goal. The Devils went on to beat one of the top NHL teams in the league, 5-1 in Washington D.C. that night, and Carrick's hard work showed on the ice.
With changes on the blue line due to injuries and trades at the deadline, Carrick became a consistent presence on the blue line for the Devils throughout February and March. By the end of the season, the defenseman played a total of 29 games, nine more than the previous season. Carrick, who wrapped up his eight season in the NHL, has only played more games in three previous seasons: 2013-14 with the Capitals, 2016-17 with the Maple Leafs and 2017-18 also with Toronto.

2. BRINGING CONSISTENCY MOVING FORWARD

Although this season was cut short due to COVID-19, Carrick has another season with the Devils ahead of him. He signed a two-year deal ahead of the 2019-20 season and will continue to be a core piece of the Devils blue line. Especially with the turnover the team saw with defensemen this past season, the Devils will benefit from having veteran players who can teach the players getting shots at the League the ins and outs of the business.
Carrick is known for being meticulous when it comes to training and health, and credits that dedication to being able to play in the NHL. Earlier this year, Carrick allowed the njd.TV crew to join him on a morning ride to practice as part of Jersey Life presented by INFINITI. In the episode, Carrick discusses the pressures constantly performing in the NHL.
"I think what's most unique about the NHL is how often you have to do this job to the best of your abilities. When you come into training camp, you've got all summer long to get your body ready, get your skill ready," explained Carrick. "Really that's not the true measure of a player. A true measure is, it's game 50, how have you managed to still feel good, or if you don't feel good, play well in the face of that anyway."
As players are called up from the AHL, or those who have recently joined the main Devils squad, Carrick is a player they can turn to for learning about the pressures of constantly performing at a high level, or how they can support themselves through nutrition and training.

3. IS THIS THING ON?

Following the early ending to the 2019-20 campaign, Carrick developed a new skill - podcast hosting! He launched his podcast in April with an "Ask Me Anything" episode, and since then has invited on quite a few special guests. Between P.K. Subban and Kevin Rooney from the Devils to Jayna Hefford, a 2018 HHOF Inductee and four-time Olympian, there's an All-Star lineup for Carrick's first venture into content creation.
In addition to the hockey players featured on the podcast, Carrick also interviews various professionals focusing on training, nutrition, and recovery including Charlie Weingroff and Dr. Stephanie Estima. Carrick is currently on the second season of his podcast, and there are currently 20 episodes available. For your next road trip or long run, go to Apple Podcasts to give the Devils defenseman's newest project a listen!

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