Sam Carrick Extended in Toronto

The Toronto Maple Leafs are keeping Sam Carrick around. The team retained the rights to the 23 year old forward on Monday, signing him to a one year contract.

Carrick played in 16 NHL games this past season after a success junior career with Brampton in the Ontario Hockey League. He would have become a restricted free agent had he not signed.

The move is the first to be made with new head coach Mike Babcock in the fold. The team, which could get involved in a rebuild effort, may want to see Carrick with more ice time and make him a regular for the 2015-2016 season.

Carrick had been playing well in the American Hockey League with the Toronto Marlies prior to his call up. With the Leafs he took on the role of being a feisty, penalty killing, defensive styled forward on the fourth line.

A fifth round pick in 2010, Carrick had to grind to earn his role in the NHL. He played two seasons in the AHL where he had 62 points total, but maybe more importantly for him, had 100 penalty minutes.

After the Leafs season came to an end, Carrick returned to the Marlies before they were eliminated from the AHL’s western conference playoffs by the Grand Rapids Griffins.