In a recent surprise announcement, Switzerland’s HC Lugano in the National League (NL) announced they had signed defender Connor Carrick to a two-year contract. Carrick, who is 31 years old, played this season with the Bakersfield Condors in the American Hockey League (AHL), where he scored 18 goals and added 23 assists for 41 points through 63 games.
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Carrick was called up to the Edmonton Oilers on an emergency basis near the end of the 2024-25 campaign when the team was dealing with several injuries on their blue line, but he didn’t suit up for a single game. He hasn’t played a game in the NHL since the 2022-23 season with the Boston Bruins, where he appeared in one game and had one assist, and before that, he hadn’t been in the NHL since the 2020-21 season with the New Jersey Devils.
It didn’t seem like there would be much interest in Carrick heading into free agency this offseason, so he is choosing to take his career overseas, where he can try and revamp his play and get another opportunity with more playing time. He was a solid piece with the Condors in the AHL and still plays at a level that could have him fighting for a job in the NHL, but that isn’t in the cards this time around.
Carrick’s Career So Far
Carrick was drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft at 137th overall by the Washington Capitals after a strong showing with the U.S. National Development Team Program (NTDP), where he scored eight goals and added 13 assists for 21 points through 57 games. In the 2012-13 season, he joined the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and played for the Plymouth Whalers, where he scored 12 goals and added 32 assists for 44 points through 68 games.
Connor Carrick, Boston Bruins (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
He made his NHL debut in the 2013-14 season with the Capitals, scoring one goal and adding five assists for six points through 34 games, also adding four assists in 13 games with the Hershey Bears in the AHL. He spent the entire 2014-15 season in the AHL with the Bears, scoring eight goals and adding 34 assists for 42 points through 73 games. He split time between the Capitals and the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2015-16 season, combining for two goals and two assists for four points through 19 games.
He bounced around between the Dallas Stars, Devils, and Bruins before playing the entire 2023-24 season with the Seattle Kraken’s AHL team, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, where he scored nine goals and added 25 assists for 34 points through 70 games. As of right now, he has a 0.57 points-per-game average in the AHL and a 0.21 points-per-game average in the NHL.
Carrick’s Future
Carrick likely could’ve signed a two-way deal somewhere in the NHL, and he could’ve continued to push for some NHL ice time as a depth defender. However, it seems as though he is more interested in taking on a larger role rather than being an extra player who doesn’t have much of an opportunity in the NHL. He is a skilled two-way player who is trustworthy as a bottom-pairing defender, and he probably could’ve earned a job on a rebuilding team like the San Jose Sharks, but he’s going to have to wait.
I think he will attempt to make an NHL comeback after playing some time in the NL with HC Lugano, but time will tell where his career heads from here. He has lots left in the tank, and it seems like he is going to build some confidence while taking on a new challenge. One day, we could see him make his return, but for now, he is out of the NHL.
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