The Buffalo Sabres were busy working the phones Thursday night, in hopes of adding talent before the NHL’s anticipated trade deadline. Sabres General Manager Jarmo Kekäläinen was able to pull off a slew of moves to help improve the Sabres roster.
Starting off with the first trade, the Sabres and New York Rangers agreed on a deal that would send Rangers Forward Sam Carrick to Buffalo, in exchange for a 3rd round pick, and a 6th round pick (Chicago), both in 2026.
Carrick, age 34, was originally a 4th round pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs back in the 2010 NHL Draft. He is under contract through the 2026-27 season with an average annual value (AAV) of $1M.
Carrick is a true veteran, having playoff experience with the Edmonton Oilers, aiding them on their run to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Carrick is also a faceoff specialist, winning 53.9 % of his faceoffs this season, while also winning 52% of faceoffs in his career.
Carrick also looks to add a physical presence to the young Sabres roster, already tallying 86 hits this season, which now ranks 6th on the Sabres. Additionally, Carrick has also has 60 games played (GP), 4 goals (G), 6 assists (A), and 10 points (P) this season.
Carrick is projected to be 4th line Center and a penalty kill specialist for Buffalo, as he helps the team finish the final stretch of the 2025-26 season.
GettyFormer Winnipeg Jet, now Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley
Sabres Double-Dip In Trade With Jets
The Sabres weren’t satisfied with only acquiring Sam Carrick, they also made another trade with the Winnipeg Jets Thursday evening as well. Buffalo would go on to acquire Jets’ Defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn, in exchange for Forward Isak Rosen, defenseman Jacob Bryson, a 2027 2nd round pick, and a 2026 conditional 4th round pick (better of Buffalo or Edmonton Oilers’ picks).
The Jets also retained 50% of Schenn’s contract as part of the trade. This deal comes after a nixed trade from the Blues earlier this week, where defenseman Colton Parayko declined to waive his no-trade clause which led Buffalo to pivot to a trade with Winnipeg instead.
GettyFormer Jets, now Sabres defenseman Luke Schenn
Reinforcements Flying In From Winnipeg
In addition to the Carrick trade, Buffalo also adds much needed depth on defense with the acquisition of Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn. Both of the veteran bruisers bring in plenty of experience to the up-and-coming Sabres squad.
Stanley, 27, played his entire 6 year career with the Jets and is an unrestricted free agent this summer. Stanley is also a physical threat, standing at 6-foot-7 and 231 pounds, totaling 96 hits in 59 GP thus far. He is also a scoring threat, having a career high in goals (9) and points (21) this season.
As for Schenn, he is 36 and has played in over 1,100 games in his 18 year career. The 6-foot-2 enforcer has 3,799 hits among active players, only trailing Alex Ovechkin.
Stanley and Schenn join a solid Sabres defense, and look to bring their experience to the ice first hand, helping Buffalo continue to lock down opponents in hopes of reaching the post-season.
Sabres Acquire Multiple Assets in Trades