The Anaheim Ducks have signed three minor league players to contract extensions. Sam Carrick has signed a one-year, one-way extension, while Trevor Carrick and Vinni Lettieri have signed one-year two-way contracts. PuckPedia reports that Sam Carrick will earn $750K on his one-way deal, while Trevor Carrick will have a $750K NHL salary and a $325K minor league guarantee.
Even though Sam Carrick is getting a one-way deal, he’s certainly not guaranteed a ton of playing time with the Ducks next season. In 13 games during the 2020-21 campaign he scored six points, but served as captain for the San Diego Gulls. He’s likely to return to that role with San Diego, where he has played his majority of games since arriving in the 2016-17 season. The 29-year-old forward has 11 points in 47 career NHL games.
His younger brother Trevor Carrick meanwhile only arrived in San Diego for this past season, but quickly found a home as one of the team’s most reliable defenders. The 27-year-old recorded 12 points in 39 games while leading the club in penalty minutes with 53. He’ll be back and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him wear an “A” as an alternate captain as he did in Charlotte for several seasons. Over his pro career, he has played just seven NHL games.
Lettieri, 26, scored at an exceptional rate for the Gulls, registering 14 goals and 26 points in just 22 games. He also spent a good amount of time with the NHL club, getting into five games. The former University of Minnesota star has just eight points in 51 career NHL games, but could be used again as an injury replacement in the right circumstances.
All three of the players will be eligible for selection in the upcoming expansion draft, but none of them meet the exposure requirements for the Ducks. These deals are all about securing valuable minor league depth for their AHL affiliate, while giving the team some passable replacements in injury situations.
PLAN THE PARADE
Would love to see Sam get more consistent 4th line playing time next year. I know he is/was the Captain for the Gulls and his brother (maybe both if Connor signs with Anaheim in a few weeks) is in SD, but he always was making things happen on the ice. Seems like a good dude, too. No complaints.