Will Rangers deal ‘ultimate teammate’ ahead of NHL trade deadline?
The New York Rangers could use more players like Sam Carrick on their roster. But that doesn’t mean the fiercely competitive veteran center is a lock to remain in New York with the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline on the calendar.
Rangers coach Mike Sullivan called Carrick “the ultimate teammate” this week, and then laid out exactly why the Rangers should keep the gritty fourth-line staple, which happen to be the same reasons why playoff contenders expect to have interest in trading for him.
“His most redeeming quality is his competitiveness, and I think that’s something every organization in the League values,” Sullivan said Friday after practice. “It’s hard to win in this League if you don’t have a certain competitive spirit and a willingness to pay the price to win. I think Sam certainly possesses that.”
The 34-year-old is not a star. Far from it. Over 378 NHL games, he averages 11:19 TOI and scored 38 goals. But, as Sullivan pointed out, Carrick is someone you want on your team, a real heart-and-soul player, even if the Rangers need more skill in the lineup.
“He does the thankless jobs, the hard stuff, sticks up for his teammates, competes hard out there, blocks shots, brings physical play. He does a lot of the thankless jobs that are so important to teams. He sticks up for guys all the time,” Sullivan explained.
“I just think he plays the game with so much courage. It’s hard not to like a guy like that. He’s a fierce competitor.”
The latest example of Carrick’s value to the Rangers was Thursday in their first game back after the three-week Olympic break, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The 6-foot, 205-pounder gave away a couple inches and roughly 10 pounds, but sought out a fight with Philly’s Garnet Hathaway late in the first period.
Carrick did so because Hathaway caught Brennan Othmann in the jaw with a hard hit along the boards. Was it an illegal check Hathaway delivered? Likely not. But the message delivered by Carrick was clear as he stood up for his bigger, younger teammate.
That’s one of six fights Carrick’s taken part in this season, filling the majority of his 53 penalty minutes, so far. His uptick in fighting coincides with the absence of Matt Rempe from the Rangers lineup. Rempe’s missed considerable time this season after shattering his thumb in an October tilt against Ryan Reaves of the San Jose Sharks. Rempe is back on IR and expected to have a second surgery on the thumb.
So, yes, Carrick’s taken on the heavy-lifting in this area, even though he’s not exactly a heavyweight himself.
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It’s not just fighting that makes Carrick a valued player on the Rangers roster. His 8.11 hits per 60 minutes is second most among those who’ve played at least half of New York’s 58 games this season. He’s also won 53.7 percent of his face-offs, and historically is a solid forward on the penalty kill.
And Carrick’s got four goals and 10 points in his limited ice-time with a vast array of linemates this season, after recording an NHL career-best 20 points with the Rangers a year ago. Though his goal Thursday against the Flyers was more a product of good fortune than anything else.
Carrick is durable, too. He’s played every game this season, and missed just two in 2024-25, his first season on Broadway.
And with one season at $1 million remaining on his contract, Carrick is a bargain.
All good reasons for the Rangers to hold on to him.
But considering their retool amid a second straight horrid season, the Rangers must listen if other teams come calling on Carrick. Especially if the Rangers land another young bottom-six center at some point or wish to give a look to 21-year-old Dylan Roobroeck, for example, who’s currently in his second season playing with Hartford of the American Hockey League.
If teams only offer up a late-round pick, and the Rangers alternative is to slot veteran Jonny Brodzinski in as the fourth-line pivot, then it makes no sense to trade Carrick. But if they can get a mid-round pick back, or if Carrick is packaged with another player for a larger return, then the Rangers must be willing to part with the “ultimate teammate.”
