It barely registered on the NHL Richter scale when the Buffalo Sabres acquired Sam Carrick from the New York Rangers ahead of Friday's trade deadline, but the veteran center is already proving his worth.
Carrick, who arrived to Buffalo in exchange for third- and sixth-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, opened his Sabres career by winning two critical late-game faceoffs in Saturday's 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators.
The 34-year-old Canadian followed that by up by scoring the Blue and Gold's fifth goal in Sunday's wild 8-7 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning to claim the Atlantic Division lead. He also fought the Bolts' Scott Sabourin as part of the Game of the Year candidate's craziness.
Perhaps the best part of Carrick's instant success? It came despite just 15 total minutes of ice time between the two contests.
The Sabres entered the deadline as the league's hottest team. While trying to make a blockbuster trade for the St. Louis Blues' Robert Thomas was an understandable pursuit, it wasn't a necessity. The roster only needed a few modest depth upgrades on the fringes.
Carrick showing he can have an influence on the final score without 20 minutes of ice time per night represents exactly what Buffalo was seeking.
"It's been an absolute blast," Carrick told reporters after Saturday's win. "I've only been here for a day now, but just the energy is unbelievable here. Obviously, they've got a great group, they've done great things this year so far, and I'm just coming in trying to complement it as best I can."
So far, so good for the club's new fourth-line center.
Now let's jump into a fresh installment of our Sabres grades series based on Saturday's triumph over the Preds.
Buffalo Sabres receive well-rounded performance in March 7 win over the Nashville Predators
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Josh Doan | 9 |
Jason Zucker | 8.5 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 8.5 |
Alex Lyon | 8 |
Tage Thompson | 8 |
Josh Norris | 8 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 7.5 |
Jack Quinn | 7.5 |
Noah Ostlund | 7.5 |
Ryan McLeod | 7 |
Bowen Byram | 7 |
Zach Benson | 6.5 |
Sam Carrick | 6.5 |
Alex Tuch | 6 |
Zach Metsa | 6 |
Owen Power | 5.5 |
Michael Kesselring | 5 |
Peyton Krebs | 4.5 |
Beck Malenstyn | 4 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Josh Doan
Doan went through a little bit of an offensive lull after signing a seven-year, $48.65 million contract extension in late January. He tallied just four points over the next 10 games.
The 24-year-old Arizona native has started to get back on track as of late, though. He's recorded five points (three goals and two assists) in the past five contests. He scored Saturday against Nashville and lit the lamp twice more, including the game-winner, vs. Tampa Bay.
Doan is such an important element of Buffalo's success because he's always willing to do the dirty work along the walls on the forecheck and in front of the net. His relentless motor makes him a valuable piece of any line, and he's played on all four at points in the campaign.
So, it's no surprise the Sabres' best runs this season have come when the 6-foot-1 forward has displayed top form. They'll hope that's the case when the playoffs roll around.
Sabres quick hits
- We're running out of adjectives to describe just how good Rasmus Dahlin has been as of late. Here's one for today: Transcendent.
- Another strong outing for Alex Lyon, who could be thrust into a true starting role if Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen doesn't bounce back from Sunday's shaky outing against the Lightning.
- Along with Doan, Tage Thompson and Jason Zucker scored goals for Buffalo vs. Nashville.
- It's hard for Beck Malenstyn to make a high-end impact given his limited minutes and offensive contributions, but he's still providing value as a physical presence and penalty-killing weapon.
- The Sabres have put together a few of these games throughout their extended hot streak where nobody plays a truly bad game. That type of across-the-board steadiness is what's required in the postseason, where every mistake is magnified.