NFL-NEWS: The Florida Panthers have formally announced the acquisition of the New York Rangers’ star defenseman, according to ESPN. A two-year, $18.6 million contract was finalized following protracted negotiations because of…..

Have Rangers found their Barclay Goodrow replacement in NHL free agency?

After Barclay Goodrow was claimed off waivers by the San Jose Sharks, the New York Rangers were left with a hole in the middle of their fourth line. The Rangers may have filled the doughnut in NHL free agency Monday, when they signed Sam Carrick.

The Fourth Period is reporting it’s a three-year contract with an average annual value of $1 million.

That certainly is an affordable deal, especially since Goodrow would’ve cost $3.6 million annually, also for the next three seasons.

Carrick has 240 games of NHL experience with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers. He has 53 points and 316 penalty minutes in that span, including NHL career highs in goals (11) and points (19) with the Ducks in 2021-22.

“He brings a hard element to our group,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury told reporters. “Our scouts had their eye on him for a while … He’s a natural center that brings some edge, some grit, certainly some toughness, as well, to our bottom six.”

The 32-year-old, who stands 6-feet tall and weighs 200 pounds, was traded by the Ducks to the Oilers ahead of the 2024 NHL trade deadline. He played in 10 postseason games this spring but none in the Stanley Cup Final, when the Oilers lost in seven games to the Florida Panthers.