Connor Carrick, the right-shooting, 24-year-old defender the Leafs acquired in trade in 2016 from the Washington Capitals has been traded to Dallas
Connor Carrick to DAL.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) October 1, 2018
7th round conditional pick in 2019 that turns into a 6th rd pick if he plays 50 games.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) October 1, 2018
After arriving along with Brooks Laich in exchange for Daniel Winnick, Carrick played for three seasons on the Leafs, getting in 16, 67 and 47 games. His lack of penalty kill experience and his inability to ever really crack the Leafs top four finally made him expendable with the acquisition of Igor Ozhiganov this summer. In addition, the late-blooming rise to prominence of Justin Holl, who is 26, made Carrick doubly redundant.
Early on Monday, October 1, the Leafs announced they would be placing Carrick on waivers. In retrospect, perhaps we should have seen that as an advertisement that the Leafs were motivated sellers and there was a new price on Carrick to make his $1,300,000 cap hit more palatable to teams looking for depth defenders.
Defender Jakub Jerabek, who was traded last year for a fifth-round pick, was just moved to St. Louis for a sixth-round pick, so this seems like a fair return, considering Carrick is paid an uncomfortable amount more than Jerabek.
