Connor Carrick proved to be the odd-man out on the Maple Leafs' defense corps, and, as such, he will not play in Toronto this season. Not for the Maple Leafs, and not even for the Marlies.
The Leafs dealt the 24 year-old Carrick to the Dallas Stars Monday in exchange for a 2019 seventh round draft pick that could become a sixth-rounder should he appear in 50 NHL games this year.
Beaten out for a spot on the right side of the Leafs defense by KHL import Igor Ozhiganov and Justin Holl, who spent the last three years with the Marlies, Carrick was due to be placed on waivers by the Maple Leafs on Monday. However, when the the waiver wire was released at 12 noon ET, Carrick's name was not on it, and shortly thereafter the trade with Dallas was announced.
The Dallas Stars have acquired defenseman Connor Carrick from the Maple Leafs in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. https://t.co/1NAdQnaeME
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) October 1, 2018
Carrick appeared in 67 games with the Leafs two seasons agao, 47 last year and 130 total over the course of three seasons. Last year, he recorded four goals -- three of them game-winners -- eight assists and 12 points, all career-highs. Yet he could not hold off either Holl or Ozhiganov for a spot on the third pair or as an extra defenseman in Toronto this season. Nikita Zaitsev and Ron Hainsey man the right side on the top two defensive pairs.
Both Holl and Ozhiganov make less money than Carrick, whose salary cap hit is $1.3 million. Currently in Dallas, Carrick is one of eight defensemen -- and one of five righties -- on the roster, including former Leafs teammate Roman Polak.
The Maple Leafs also removed the glut in goal by waiving a pair of veterans, Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard, leaving 25-year-old Garret Sparks to start the season as Frederik Anderson's backup. Though the 35-year-old McElhinney had a terrific season as the club's No. 2 last year, the Leafs chose to go with the goalie who backstopped the Marlies run to the 2018 Calder Cup title instead.
Sparks, who has 17 games of NHL experience -- all in 2015-16 -- posted a surreal 1.79 GAA and .936 save percentage in 43 games with the Marlies a year ago.