Connor Carrick
Ever since the Devils traded Ben Lovejoy to the Dallas Stars for Connor Carrick and a draft pick, it seemed like the move made a ton of sense for everyone. Carrick, the former 5th-round pick, has been bouncing around the league, but he was sticking in the NHL for most of his career. He spent the first year in the pros with the Washington Capitals, he moved to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he saw his greatest success before he was traded to Dallas for a 7th-round pick.
The Devils have Carrick a chance to prove himself on the ice, and he did well the first season in New Jersey. He did so well that Ray Shero gave him a two-year deal that paid him $1.5 million per season. It was a great deal for the Devils who had a ton of cap space at the time. Even if his ceiling was a third-pairing defenseman, he brought a great attitude to the locker room which continued through his tenure here.
Carrick immediately fell off as he never really made an impact on the lineup. His advanced statistics fell off dramatically, and he never found his footing in the lineup. Carrick was still awesome off the ice. He started a podcast, and he would do a lot of content with the Devils’ media team.
Carrick signed with the Seattle Kraken in the offseason. We partially thought he would do more with his media gigs and his podcast, but he wants to give this hockey thing one more shot. The Kraken are desperately low on depth, so Carrick can provide a soft landing if a few defensemen get injured. If not, he could play in the AHL or sit in the owner’s box and play in practice. It’s a nice spot for the Kraken, and Carrick can continue his career after his stint with the Devils.