Sam Carrick was an unheralded signing by the Rangers before the 2024-2025 season. The Rangers, at the time, were looking to stabilize their fourth line after a trip to the Eastern Conference Final, and they chose Sam Carrick to do it. When he was signed to his three year deal, it was viewed as a tad excessive but manageable because of the cap hit. Fast forward two seasons later, and Sam Carrick became a true bargain and one of the lone bright spots for a Rangers team that fell off a cliff in Carrick’s first year.
Never a goal scorer of offensive player, Carrick’s first season with the Rangers led to career highs in assists (14) and points (20). In 2025-2026, Carrick was on pace to hit those number again in a fourth line role with a rotating cavalry of wingers ranging from Adam Edstrom and Matt Rempe to veterans Taylor Raddysh and Jonny Brodzinski, depending on the day.
No one is writing home about Carrick’s offense. He was brought on to be a premier forechecker and a pain to play against. Carrick’s role was almost purely defensive, starting a shade over 70% of his shifts in the defensive or neutral zones. Yet he routinely pushed play up the ice and, on a team with questionable defense at best, was as consistent as you can get in that role.
For just $1 million, Carrick played to a net-positive defensive rating at 5v5 while serving as one of the Rangers’ top penalty killers. Sam Carrick’s 2025-2026 season was one of maybe three bright spots, alongside Mika Zibanejad’s resurgence and the vibe change at the end of the season.
The fact that Carrick did what he did, given the quality of the team as a whole and of his linemates, is a borderline miracle. Carrick’s top four linemates were Raddysh (222 mins), Edstrom (195 mins), Rempe (183 mins), and Brodzinski (151 mins). No other Rangers forward cleared 50 minutes with Carrick, and none of that quartet are considered solid fourth liners. There’s a strong argument that most aren’t even NHLers, though injuries do play a role with Edstrom and Rempe.
Carrick was a great soldier for the Rangers. He did everything asked of him and then some. Trading him was the right move, even if the Rangers need to replace the now 34 year old center.