The Buffalo Sabres acquired forward Sam Carrick from the New York Rangers on Friday in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick.
Carrick, 34, has played 380 career games across 10 seasons, spending time in Toronto, Anaheim, Edmonton and New York. He’s under contract through the 2026-27 season with an average annual value of $1 million.
The 6-foot-0, 202-pound center has won 53.9 percent of his faceoffs this season and 52.0 percent in his career, so he’ll provide a big boost at the dot for a Sabres team that ranks last in the league at 45 percent.
Some quick facts about the veteran Carrick:
- He had 10 points (4+6) in 60 games for the Rangers, averaging 10:25 of ice time in a bottom-six role. He set career highs in points (20) and games (80) last season.
- He’s delivered 86 hits this season, which now ranks sixth on the Sabres.
- A defensively leaky New York team fared better with Carrick on the ice, controlling 50.3 percent of the expected goals and 52.5 percent of the high-danger scoring chances during his 5-on-5 minutes, per Natural Stat Trick.
- His playoff experience consists of 10 games with the Oilers on their run to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
