Puck Prose
Fansided

Dallas Stars acquire Connor Carrick from Toronto Maple Leafs

By Dave Stevenson

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 24: Toronto Maple Leafs Defenceman Connor Carrick (8) skates during the NHL preseason game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs on September 24, 2018, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photograph by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 24: Toronto Maple Leafs Defenceman Connor Carrick (8) skates during the NHL preseason game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs on September 24, 2018, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photograph by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Dallas Stars are taking a flyer on Connor Carrick, as they’ve traded for the Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman.

The Dallas Stars are undergoing a bit of a blueline makeover. Apparently, they didn’t like what they saw in camp, as they’ve made an upgrade just before Opening Night rosters have to be finalized. The Stars have announced they’ve acquired Connor Carrick from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a conditional draft pick.

Should Carrick play in more than 50 games for the Stars in 2018-19, Dallas will give Toronto a 2019 sixth round pick. If he doesn’t, the Stars will give up a 2019 seventh round pick. The Leafs have reportedly been shopping him for a while. They were expected to put him on waivers, but found a trade with the Stars instead.

More from Puck Prose

Over four NHL seasons, Carrick has appeared in 167 regular season games and six postseason games. He was originally drafted by the Washington Capitals in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft.

Carrick made his NHL debut with the Capitals on October 1, 2013. However, his rookie season was cut short with an injury in his third NHL game. Carrick missed three months due to it. He played in 37 games overall for the Capitals before being traded to the Leafs with Brooks Laich and a second round pick for Daniel Winnik and a fifth round pick.

The Stars now have a full 23 man roster, including eight defensemen. Carrick has proven to be an NHL caliber defenseman, so he’s a good guy for Dallas to take a shot on. It’s likely the Stars wouldn’t have been able to get him on waivers, as multiple teams had expressed interest in him.

Next. One Reason Each Team Should Be Excited For The 2018-19 Season. dark

However, with John Klingberg and Stephen Johns likely locking up two of the three right-handed spots in the lineup, he’ll have to compete with former teammate Roman Polak and fellow young defenseman Julius Honka for playing time.

Carrick can move the puck well and can hold his own in a sheltered role. It will be interesting to see how the Stars use him. I see him rotating in and out of the lineup, potentially grabbing a spot on the third pairing full-time.

Home/Toronto Maple Leafs