On a night that he sat out for the first time this season, popular forward Sam Carrick was traded to the Sabres in exchange for two picks.

The deal was first reported by hockey insider Elliotte Friedman following the Rangers’ 6-2 win over the Maple Leafs. Carrick was dealt to the Sabres for a 2026 third round pick and sixth round pick. The third belongs to the Sabres, and the sixth comes from the Blackhawks.

A hard-working fourth line center who the Rangers signed in 2024 to replace Barclay Goodrow, the 34-year-old Carrick was the embodiment of a gritty and honest player who brought a lot of heart and hustle.

Carrick was a good team guy who always defended his teammates. Even if he isn’t the biggest or strongest, he knows how to fight and even battled Blue Jackets’ heavyweight Mathieu Olivier and Capitals’ power forward Tom Wilson.

When he wasn’t stepping in for guys, Carrick was an effective player on the forecheck, whose tenacity didn’t go unnoticed. A high-character player who won over 53 percent on faceoffs while doing some strong work on the penalty kill, he always brought it every shift.

In 2024-25, he set a career-high with 14 assists and 20 points for the Rangers. In what was a more challenging season due to so many moving parts, Carrick has four goals and six assists for 10 points in 60 games.

Although he’s headed to Buffalo to try to help the Sabres win in what will be their first postseason since 2010-11, Carrick still deserves to win the Steven McDonald Award at the end of the season. Maybe when the Sabres return to MSG on April 8, the Rangers can do the right thing and present him with the award. Nobody gave a better effort.