Injury Notes: Stone, Ducks, Sabres
The Vegas Golden Knights will be without their captain tonight in Game 4 against Anaheim, as Mark Stone won’t play, to be replaced by Brandon Saad, noted by Jesse Granger of The Athletic.
It was apparent just yesterday that such was a possibility, as Stone left Game 3 early as a result of a non-contact lower-body injury. Averaging 19:26 so far in the playoffs, good for third among Vegas forwards, losing Stone for any extended period would have major implications in the remainder of the series, as the Ducks look to even things up at 2-2. A crucial piece of their power play, Stone, who turns 34 in just three days, has managed to play in all nine playoff games so far, coming away with seven points.
Despite never playing in more than 66 regular season games as a Knight, Stone has missed just one playoff game with the team. In 94 such appearances, always rising to the occasion, he has 79 points. Obviously taking a lot for the veteran to miss out in the spring, it raises real concerns on his status the rest of the way.
Another veteran with ample playoff experience (111 games), Saad is expected to slot into the third line, his first postseason action of the year. A two-time Stanley Cup champion and former standout scorer, the winger is now fully embracing an energy role under John Tortorella, with just nine points in 49 games this year. Invigorated by the opportunity, he’ll be one to watch as the group marches ahead without their leader, as few depth forwards have a resume as strong as his own.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Vegas’ opponents in Anaheim also have movement in regards to their captain, as Radko Gudas is a game-time decision to return, based on morning lines shared by Zach Cavanaugh of The Sporting Tribune. The soon-to-be 36-year-old hasn’t played since Game 1 against the Oilers in the opening round, dealing with a lower body injury. Assuming back into the fold, he’ll be in a third pairing deployment alongside rookie Tyson Hinds, who only made his NHL debut last month. It appears that Drew Helleson will step out of the lineup as a result, the 25-year-old righty skating in eight postseason games so far and coming away with one helper in limited usage. Helleson is thought to be dealing with an undisclosed injury.
- Knotted 1-1 in their series and headed into a hostile Montreal environment tonight for Game 3, the Buffalo Sabres might change things up among their bottom six forwards, observed by Bill Hoppe of The Times Herald. Head coach Lindy Ruff did not provide specifics, but trade deadline acquisition Sam Carrick looks likely to be suiting up after missing 15 games with an arm injury. It’s a nice update after initial thoughts that the 34-year-old had no shot at returning during the second round. Drafted back in 2010, Carrick has just 10 playoff games under his belt, coming as an Oiler two years ago. His nearly 55% faceoff win rate would be a welcome addition, the exact reason Buffalo surrendered third and sixth-round selections to the Rangers in March. If Carrick is good to go, it may bump out Tyson Kozak. The 23-year-old has provided spot-duty on the fourth line, bringing energy but winning a sub-par 43.3% on the dot across six playoff games.
Atlantic Notes: Moser, Mignosa, Carrick
Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser will suit up for Switzerland at the upcoming World Championship, per an announcement from the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation. The 25-year-old is coming off a strong season, one that saw him produce 29 points in 79 games while averaging a career-best 21:34 per night of playing time. Moser’s efforts saw him receive an eight-year, $54MM contract extension midseason that will keep him in the fold through 2033-34. With Victor Hedman not playing in their first-round exit against Montreal, Moser was counted on even more, logging 23:32 per night, the third-highest ATOI for Tampa Bay in the series. The Swiss are hosting this year’s Worlds and will now have another defensive anchor to rely on for the tournament.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Still with the Lightning, prospect Marco Mignosa announced on his Instagram page that he will play for Penn State next season. The 21-year-old finished up his junior career this season with OHL Soo, collecting 35 goals and 54 assists in 65 regular season games while adding 17 points in 10 playoff contests. Mignosa, a 2025 seventh-round pick, briefly joined AHL Syracuse on an ATO but never suited up for them, maintaining his college eligibility in the process.
- Sabres center Sam Carrick has gone from someone unlikely to play in the second round to being on the verge of a return. Speaking to reporters before last night’s game including Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald, head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that had this been an elimination game situation, Carrick probably would have played but instead, he opted to give the 34-year-old a bit more rest. With Buffalo losing last night and struggling at the faceoff dot, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Carrick and his 54.8% success rate on draws this season return to the lineup on Saturday.
Latest On Sam Carrick, Noah Ostlund
5/4/26: The Sabres received some good news today regarding Carrick. Despite it being announced yesterday that he was expected to miss the team’s second-round playoff series, Carrick said today that he has progressed rapidly in his recovery and could be back on the ice in short order.
Ruff said that Carrick is “going to see our doctors today and thinks he’s further along than maybe I portrayed yesterday,” and that he could join our team back in practice tomorrow.”
It’s unclear whether Carrick is going to be ready in time for when the Sabres take on the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow night. But it’s looking increasingly likely that he will be able to play against Montreal at some point in the second round, especially if the series extends beyond the minimum of four games.
5/3/26: The Buffalo Sabres expect to be without centers Noah Ostlund and Sam Carrick for their upcoming second-round series, head coach Lindy Ruff announced today.
Carrick hasn’t played since March. He is sidelined with an upper-body injury, one he sustained in a fight with New York Islanders captain Anders Lee. Ostlund has been out since suffering his lower-body injury in game five against the Bruins.
This pair of injuries puts some strain on the Sabres’ center depth in advance of their series. The Sabres’ No. 4 center spot would typically be occupied by Carrick, but in his absence, the team has relied upon 23-year-old Tyson Kozak. Kozak is a hard-working, energetic player, but not someone who has the same level of experience or detail to his game when compared to Carrick. Carrick, 34, went to a Stanley Cup Final with the Edmonton Oilers and brings a level of reliability Kozak hasn’t yet established.
But while swapping out Carrick for Kozak is a downgrade in some respects, one could argue the loss of Ostlund is more significant. The 2022 first-rounder is one of Buffalo’s top prospects and showed flashes this season, scoring 11 goals and 27 points in 60 games. He even had his moments in the playoffs, scoring a goal and an assist in three games. Like Carrick, Ostlund is also a natural center.
As mentioned, while the Carrick injury has cost the Sabres a veteran fourth-line center, the real, more pressing risk posed by these absences is what would happen to the Sabres at the position if another center goes down.
No. 3 pivot Josh Norris is one of the team’s most talented players at the position, but has, unfortunately, been quite injury-prone in recent years. He missed three games in the first round due to an undisclosed injury, was limited to just 44 games in the regular season, and has reached 60 games played in a single campaign just once in his NHL career.
If Norris’ injury issues resurface in the second round (a series that is likely to be extremely physical given how the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens have competed their first-round series,) the Sabres could be left in a tough spot. They would potentially need to dress both Kozak and Josh Dunne or consider alternate options. Those options include shifting natural center Peyton Krebs back to the middle, breaking up a Tage Thompson line that has worked so well this year, or dressing talented rookie Konsta Helenius.
The options available to the Sabres if Norris or another center gets injured are not entirely ideal for a team looking to win a Stanley Cup. As a result, today’s two injury updates only further emphasize the importance of the health of Norris, Thompson, and Ryan McLeod for the Sabres.
Sabres’ Sam Carrick Out Week-To-Week
Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Carrick will miss several games after squaring off against the captain of the New York Islanders, Anders Lee, the other night. According to Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio, Carrick will miss the next few weeks due to the arm injury, but hasn’t been ruled out for the rest of the regular season.
Before exiting Tuesday’s contest against the Islanders, Carrick had an otherwise strong start to his tenure in Buffalo. The Sabres acquired the fourth-line forward at the trade deadline from the New York Rangers for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick.
In his 13 games with the Sabres, Carrick had registered five goals. Playing with the Rangers, Carrick had scored only four goals in 60 games. Additionally, his 51.0% CorsiFor at even strength, albeit in a small handful of games, shows that he’s mixed in quite well with Buffalo’s offensive strategies.
Unfortunately, there’s a very real chance he won’t manage to expand on those totals. In two weeks, the Sabres’ regular season will be over, and the team will be preparing for its first playoff run since the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. If he returns after next week, Buffalo will only have the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars left to play.
Still, with all respect to Carrick, it won’t be a difficult void for the Sabres to fill. Although they are dealing with a few additional injuries to their forward corps, the team has plenty of depth to fill out the fourth line. Tonight, Buffalo is using Joshua Dunne in Carrick’s place, who has scored one goal and four points in 31 contests this season.
Snapshots: Carrick, Yakemchuk, Berube
Buffalo Sabres spring acquisition Sam Carrick appeared to suffer a serious arm injury after fighting Anders Lee of the Islanders tonight, seen in a clip shared by Bleacher Report Open Ice.
Carrick dropped the mitts with Lee in retaliation after the Islanders captain delivered a hard hit on Buffalo’s Josh Norris. As he went down at the end of the scrap, he was immediately in serious pain. The center did not return, and with just seven regular season games on the schedule for the team after tonight, there’s a real possibility Buffalo has lost a key veteran for the playoffs.
Acquired on March 6 from the Rangers in exchange for a third and sixth rounder, Carrick has been a great fit with the Sabres. He has five goals in 12 games, of course not sustainable with a shooting percentage just under 28%. Even when that inevitably cools off, he’s winning 58.2% of his face-offs and killing penalties as a solid fourth line center right as advertised.
Also evident considering his willingness to take on a larger player in Lee for the sake of a teammate, Carrick plays a role any team needs in the playoffs. Especially a younger group, who will end a 15-year-long drought and enter uncharted territory.
The hope is that Carrick has somehow not suffered a season-ender, but if so, Joshua Dunne might have to step back in at a crucial time. Buffalo is back at it Thursday as they aim to put the keep their foot on the gas rolling into a potential run.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Senators defenseman Carter Yakemchuk suffered a concerning injury tonight as observed by Julian McKenzie of The Athletic. He sustained a hard hit from Florida’s Noah Gregor which was concentrated in the head area, and had trouble getting back up, eventually requiring help to get off the ice. Gregor was assessed a game misconduct. It was a tough night for the Sens as they lost convincingly to the bottom-feeding Panthers while in desperate need of points. Ottawa’s top prospect, Yakemchuk made his NHL debut one week ago today, getting a look especially as Jake Sanderson remains out. The 20-year-old burst onto the scene with a goal and an assist in his first game. As a righty, he fits perfectly into a well-assembled core from the other side for years to come. Ottawa hopes their youngster will be back by Thursday against Buffalo.
- Insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period said on yesterday’s edition of The Leafs Nation that head coach Craig Berube was likely not anticipating yesterday’s firing of general manager Brad Treliving. Pagnotta suspects that he hasn’t been told anything as to his future with the club. The 60-year-old has a contract which runs through 2027-28, but his Leafs tenure could be winding down, about to finish only his second season with the team, where he’s had an 84 – 56 – 17 record. Toronto’s constant turnover behind the bench needs to change, but it only makes sense for the team to start fresh this summer. Any new GM typically prefers bringing in their own selection, especially with some strong candidates available, headlined by Bruce Cassidy. Berube, known for leading the Blues to a remarkable run to a Stanley Cup in 2019, could also benefit from a new challenge with the Leafs sputtering despite his efforts.
Sabres Acquire Sam Carrick From Rangers
March 6: The Sabres have officially announced the deal.
March 5: The Sabres are set to acquire center Sam Carrick from the Rangers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. New York receives Buffalo’s third-round pick and Chicago’s sixth-round pick in this year’s draft in return, Friedman added later. Carrick was held out of tonight’s win over the Maple Leafs for asset protection.
Carrick, 34, is just past the midway point of the three-year, $3MM contract he landed in Manhattan as a free agent in 2024. At a cap hit of $1MM, he’s been a legitimately impactful fourth-line pivot for the Rangers for the past year-plus. In 140 games for the Blueshirts, he netted 10 goals and 30 points while averaging 11:17 of ice time per game. He went 54.1% in the faceoff circle and put up exceptional possession numbers for his role as a defensive specialist at 5-on-5.
That last part has been especially true this season. He’s actually managed a cumulative +3 rating despite starting over 75% of his shifts in the defensive zone since arriving in New York, and the Rangers’ most-used fourth-line combo this season of Carrick, Adam Edstrom, and Matt Rempe has controlled 55.6% of expected goals.
While Buffalo’s main goal at the deadline is to add right-shot depth at defense, acquiring a #4 center behind their strong one-two-three punch of Tage Thompson, Ryan McLeod, and Joshua Norris was likely the second checkbox on GM Jarmo Kekäläinen‘s list. They haven’t had a stable option down the middle on the fourth line all year, frequently alternating between Joshua Dunne and Tyson Kozak. Combined, they have 106 games of NHL experience compared to Carrick’s 380.
Longevity aside, Carrick is a legitimate upgrade on both sides of the puck. Dunne has just four points for his career in 46 games, while Kozak has four points in 39 games this year. Dunne hasn’t cracked 100 draws on the year, while Kozak has won a respectable but upgradeable 49.1%. Kozak, in particular, has also posted worse possession impacts than Carrick in comparable defensive/offensive zone splits at 5-on-5.
Carrick also gives the Sabres a plug-and-play option at the position through next season while being a cost-effective 13th forward if he does fall out of the regular rotation. That latter consideration is important for a team that finds itself in unfamiliar territory close to the upper limit, needing to use virtually all their available space for next season to get new deals done for Alex Tuch and Zach Benson.
Rangers’ Sam Carrick Generating Interest
Ahead of tonight’s game against Toronto, Mollie Walker, beat writer for the team, reported that the New York Rangers were not playing Sam Carrick for roster management reasons. The 34-year-old would not be alone, as Vincent Trocheck received the same designation. It appears that after 140 games as a Blueshirt, Carrick will be moving on to his fifth organization.
A veteran who is clearly not in New York’s plans for the future, Carrick holds a $1MM cap hit which runs through next season. It may be a slightly more ideal scenario if he was instead a rental, but there’s been enough demand for bottom six centers that GM Chris Drury should be able to recoup some value for Carrick.
The Ontario native was a late bloomer, emerging as a full time NHLer at age 29 with the Anaheim Ducks. After a short stop in Edmonton, he caught on with the Rangers, inking his contract as a free agent. Carrick has just 10 playoff games of experience, coming as an Oiler in 2023-24, but he brings the two-way attributes and toughness that any contender would value.
Carrick has 380 games under his belt, with 10 points in 60 contests this season as a Ranger. He’s been trusted under head coach Mike Sullivan, having yet to miss a game for any reason, only now sitting with a trade in mind. Carrick has 53 penalty minutes, capable of dropping the mitts, and has a strong 53.9% face-off win rate.
The Vegas Golden Knights gave up a 2029 second rounder, along with other assets, for Nic Dowd, a center one year older than Carrick at 3x the contract, with same term. The Minnesota Wild forked over a 2028 second rounder for Michael McCarron. Both middlemen have more perceived value than Carrick, but it seems possible Drury could fetch as much as a third-round pick for his offering.
Especially with Vegas and Minnesota out of the mix, most buyers have 4C taken care of. On paper, Colorado or Tampa Bay could benefit from an addition, or Anaheim could seek a reunion with the veteran, their fourth line thin and not overly experienced.
Whatever the case, Carrick’s name will be one to watch as the Rangers move ahead in their new direction.
Evening Notes: Knoblauch, Wood, Miller, Rangers
Edmonton GM Stan Bowman told Ryan Rishaug of TSN that extension talks with Head Coach Kris Knoblauch continue, with no foreseen issues ahead. Having taken the Oilers to new heights, and with a window still as open as ever, keeping Connor McDavid‘s former OHL coach around is a no-brainer.
Speaking of the Oilers’ mega star, Bowman did not provide any updates on McDavid, other than that they’re happy to play the long game if needed, and talk consistently with his agent, Judd Moldaver.
Having acquired Connor Ingram earlier today, Bowman touched on the goalie front as well. Apparently, no talks have emerged with Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard yet, and that Ingram has been brought in as another good option for the club.
It’s fair to say that running it back with Skinner and Pickard again this year has been a bit unexpected. Yet it appears Bowman will keep a close eye on each, evaluating their long-term prospects in Edmonton, especially with an intriguing addition coming into the fold.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Brooks Bratten, Nashville’s beat reporter, shared today that top prospect Matthew Wood is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, an ailment sustained in the team’s Gold Star Showcase scrimmage last week. The 2023 first-round-pick has made a strong case to remain with the big club so far in camp, after a six-game trial fresh out of the NCAA last season. Now set to miss time, eyes turn to fellow key prospects Brady Martin and Joakim Kemell, who become more likely to make the team given Wood’s injury. Additionally, the Predators claimed Tyson Jost on waivers today.
- Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic updated today that J.T. Miller remains sidelined since an unassuming lower body injury sustained in practice two days ago. Thankfully, the captain’s ailment isn’t thought to be serious, so perhaps the Rangers are content with being patient. Meanwhile, Sam Carrick was seen back in a red no-contact jersey, and Casey Fitzgerald was absent, but due to being waived today rather than injury. The former Sabres defenseman is expected to be a key piece for AHL Hartford for the second straight season.
Rangers Sign Sam Carrick To Three-Year Deal
The New York Rangers are expected to sign forward Sam Carrick to a three-year, $3MM contract per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). The deal was first reported by St. Louis Blues rinkside reporter Andy Strickland (Twitter link).
Carrick continued to improve his stat line this season – though he wasn’t focused much on scoring. Instead, Carrick recorded 111 penalty minutes in 77 games this season, a career-high in the NHL and the most he’s recorded since the 2014-15 AHL season. 90 of those penalty minutes came in 61 games with the Anaheim Ducks, though Carrick dialed things back a bit after moving to the Edmonton Oilers are the Trade Deadline. He recorded a much more modest 12 penalty minutes in 16 regular-season games with Edmonton, though he added 12 more penalty minutes in 10 postseason games. Between the two teams, Carrick also posted a meager 10 goals and 16 points.
Carrick is certainly not known for his scoring, with his career totals up to 53 points and 316 penalty minutes in 240 games after his eighth season in the NHL. But Carrick makes up for the lack of scoring with grit and intangibles, boasting a dazzling 63.1 faceoff-percentage in his brief stint with Edmonton – bringing his success rate at the faceoff dot up to 50.7 percent across his career. He’s served as a stout, bottom-line centerman with the ability to play penalty-killing minutes, when it’s not his own penalties that are being killed. He’ll offer depth down New York’s depth chart, following the loss of Alexander Wennberg to the open market.
Sam Carrick Fined By Department Of Player Safety
The Department of Player Safety issued their only punishment from Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, fining Edmonton Oilers’ forward Sam Carrick a total of $2,213.54, the maximum allowable, for slashing Florida Panthers’ defenseman Dmitry Kulikov. Elliotte Friedman of TSN followed up the report by announcing the league would not pass down any additional discipline.
The play in question occurred near the end of Game 2 after Kulikov delivered a hard hit to Carrick. Afterward, Carrick slashed Kulikov in what is best described as his ‘nether region’, resulting in a two-minute minor penalty for slashing, and a 10-minute game misconduct. Since Carrick was ejected from the game, teammate Evander Kane served his two-minute penalty.
Expectedly, the Department of Player Safety will expand its leniency throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. Still, it is surprising that this will be the only supplemental discipline from Game 2. Aside from Carrick, defenseman Vincent Desharnais and forward Warren Foegele were ejected from the Oilers bench, with forward Leon Draisaitl delivering a controversial hit to Aleksander Barkov.
Nevertheless, the Oilers organization should view the lack of punishment as a silver lining to their Game 2 loss, as they will not be forced to lose any players for a pivotal Game 3. Managing only one goal through the first six periods of the Stanley Cup Final, Edmonton will need all hands on deck to get back into this series.