Sam Carrick’s spot with the Sabres looks a lot less secure than it did when Buffalo brought him in last March.
The team was already charging toward a playoff berth when it landed the center from the New York Rangers for a pair of draft picks, and the move made sense right away. Carrick brought the kind of edge Buffalo was missing while Jordan Greenway was hurt, and he also gave the Sabres help in the faceoff circle. In his early games with the club, he piled up eight hits and four blocks, looking like someone who could matter in a postseason push.
That never fully materialized. A late-season injury knocked him off track, and he ended up appearing in just one playoff game.
There was reason to think Carrick could reset this season after getting healthy again, but instead he has slipped into the shuffle on a crowded fourth line. Availability has been part of the problem, and so has simply standing out when he has been on the ice.
The physical game is still there - he has 18 hits in limited action - but that alone is not enough to carve out a real role. If Carrick wants a firmer hold on a bottom-six spot, or even a shot at moving up to the third line, he has to bring more than that.
That path looks even tougher with Josh Norris and Ryan McLeod ahead of him, even with both centers struggling. Getting past either one does not appear likely, which makes Carrick’s route to steady ice time pretty narrow.
Buffalo’s bigger issue is offense. The Sabres need more reliable scoring from the second and third lines if they want to climb in the standings, and Carrick has not given them enough production to change that picture.
He is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026-27 NHL season, and if the inconsistency continues, Buffalo could eventually decide to move him. In that scenario, he could become part of a larger, higher-profile trade aimed at bringing in another offensive piece before his contract expires.
Carrick has been traded multiple times already, and his veteran presence could still appeal to a younger roster. But for that to matter, he has to find a place in a depth chart that is already crowded.
He is in the same situation as fellow center Tyson Kozak, with both players missing time because of injuries and both seeing special teams usage. Carrick has the more experience, but neither has really separated himself.
Last season, Carrick showed exactly what he could add. This season, that value has been harder to find.
In Other News...
Sabres Breakout Winger Is Making Buffalo's Next Decision Much Tougher
Jack Quinns jump this season has given the Sabres something every front office wants and rarely gets: a young winger whose game is starting to match the belief in his talent. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen has pointed to Quinns added strength and stronger commitment as key reasons he has become more effective on the ice, and the scoring uptick has followed. For a Buffalo team looking for more finishing punch, Quinns emergence has been one of the more encouraging developments of the year.
It also leaves the Sabres with a tougher call coming soon enough. Quinn is still under team control, but his next contract will need to reflect a player who is trending well above where he was when he signed his current deal. Buffalo will have to weigh the safer short-term route against a longer commitment that could become much more expensive if this version of Quinn keeps building on what he has shown. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres May Need A Tough Jiri Kulich Decision Soon
Jiri Kulichs season has already been shaped by more interruption than momentum, and the Sabres are now weighing whether a different setting might help him get back on track. The young forward has missed significant time because of a blood clot and later injuries, and after returning he has not been able to settle into the kind of rhythm Buffalo hoped to see from him.
Lindy Ruff has acknowledged how difficult the stretch has been for Kulich and pointed to a possible stint with the Rochester Americans as a way to get him more consistent ice time and rebuild his game. For a Sabres team still trying to sort out its forward mix, the question is no longer just when Kulich can play, but where he can best recover the form that made him part of the conversation in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Need More From Rasmus Dahlin In Another Consistency Test
Rasmus Dahlins start to the season has mirrored the Sabres broader problem: too many nights that look sharp, followed by stretches that leave Buffalo searching for a steadier answer. The defenseman has flashed the kind of impact the Sabres need from him, but the early returns have been uneven, including a rough showing in the loss to the Vegas Golden Knights that underscored how quickly things can tilt when he is not at his best.
Buffalo has not found much rhythm as a team, winning consecutive games only twice so far, and the margin for error only gets thinner with Tampa Bay next on the schedule. Jiri Kulichs latest setback adds another wrinkle to the lineup picture, with the young forward expected to sit out against the Lightning as the Sabres keep sorting through injuries and trying to settle on a group that can deliver the same level night after night. [Read more 🡒]